The Emperor's Mage
by CalliopeMused
Summary: AU. Daine is sixteen when she travels to Carthak with her teacher, Lindhall Reed, and the Tortallan peace delegation. She's there to heal the emperor's birds. She didn't mean to make a dangerous friend in Arram Draper, the emperor's right-hand man.
1. Threat

_I've had this idea for a long time, but I've never quite wanted this project to turn into half a novel. This story is an experiment in formatting, for me, because I'm planning to tell it through a series of very closely-linked oneshots. It's similar to a fifty-sentences story, except that this involves multiple short snippets. This will let me update much more quickly. _

_I will give more detailed background information later. For now- this story begins when Daine is sixteen, with the first diplomatic overture between Carthak and Tortall.  
_

**The Emperor's Mage  
Chapter One: Threat**

Lindhall Reed's knuckles were pale from his grip on the ship's railing. He had a written guarantee of safety from the emperor, but that would easily be broken if Ozorne thought he had more to give. Even his debt to King Jonathan had not convinced him to leave Tortall and the safety of Corus. It had been for his favorite student, for the girl who could win a peace between Tortall and Carthak through her famous knack with animals.

Daine, at least, was unruffled by the prospect. She had been promised time away from the negotiations, and she was confident in her abilities to heal the emperor's birds. She stepped easily along the deck, a hand steadying the medicine kit at her hip. "Lindhall? The sailors would like all the land folk in their cabins while we come into port."

He stared toward Carthak, finding the tower of Ozorne's palace in the distance. "You must promise me, Daine," he said roughly. "You will be polite, but will play the part of a demure maiden and insist on a chaperone at all times. You will make eye contact with the emperor only if necessary, and will make sure that healing the birds seems extremely difficult. Most of all…"

"I will have no willing association with Arram Draper," Daine said quietly, barely moving her lips. "I promised you, Lindhall. You have my word."

"I trust your word, Daine. I don't trust their intentions. Arram will be able to see your power by looking at you, and he knows far more about wild magic than I. I taught him the basics, but he devoured the few treatises available and wrote several of his own." He ran a hand through his thinning hair, his eyes fixed on the shore ahead of them. "You know how to escape, Daine. No matter what you hear, you _will _return to Tortall post-haste if I give the order, your life is in danger, or you feel that you are trapped."

Daine nodded, still keeping her patience. "I don't understand why I'd be so important, Lindhall, but I'll try. You're making me fair nervous."

"I would prefer you to be nervous, Daine. This is a very dangerous place, especially for a student of mine."

"I know all the rules," she assured him. "Onua talked with me about the whys before the Riders put on the sending-off party."

He smiled at Daine, who still looked confused that so many people would care so much. "You, my dear student, are the strongest wildmage I have ever encountered. You do know to check in with Alanna?"

Daine shifted, her first sign of impatience. "I'm not a child, Lindhall. You remembered to give me all those lovely books for my sixteenth birthday."

"Of course I give you books, student of mine, you devour them. The library can't hope to stock enough volumes about animals. Besides, I plan to benefit greatly from my investment. I'll write all sorts of treatises about wild magic, thanks to you."

"I know, I'm interesting for my magic," Daine teased. Normally, he would have been ready for a mock debate, but when he turned to look at her he looked almost desperate. This was no time for fun. "Alanna and I checked the wards around my magical core yesterday, before we were in range of the Carthak spells that see magic. If I feel the madness slipping in again, I go straight to her. If someone interferes with her spells, she'll know."

Lindhall stared over the ocean again. "Alanna and I can only conjecture, but we believe Arram would have been the match for her twin. Ozorne and Arram together are a force to be reckoned with."

"So're King Jon and Alanna. I have all of The People within ten miles, and even more that that with all this lovely cool saltwater about," Daine said practically. "We'll be fine, Lindhall. Alanna's never found a way to block me from my powers."

"Aside from knocking you upside the head."

"Did you see how Cloud reacted? Ponies don't care about staff practice, Lindhall, and that was with someone they trusted. I'm one of the People, and I'll have allies wherever I go." She tugged at his arm firmly. "Alanna said you'd do this, you know. I'd go off to talk to some new gulls, and come back to find you like this. Mooning about at ship railings, figuring out how the world could end… You said you'd show me how to make the tea for Alanna's seasickness. I don't think she wants to be green when meeting the emperor."

"Good deduction. We can make that in her quarters, if we stop to requisition a few supplies from the cook first."

"You're not old, Lindhall." Daine pulled him away from the railing, and slipped her hand into his when he finally turned away from Carthak. "You only act it sometimes."

Lindhall squeezed her hand, then they walked together to the ship's galley. She was a mature, thoughtful, and clever girl. Arram would not have the chance to fool _her. _


	2. Empire

_I do not own any of Tamora Pierce's novels or characters, but I very much enjoy playing with them._

_Thank you very much to everyone who reviewed last chapter._

**The Emperor's Mage  
Chapter Two: Empire**

At thirteen, Miss Veralidaine Sarrasri would have been mightily impressed with the ostentatious spread of diplomats at the end of the long woven rug covering the plain wood of the docks. At sixteen, Daine had already assumed her standard 'smile prettily and bear the noble fussing' expression before her leather shoe touched plush carpet. The politics of leaving the ship in an ordered procession had passed her by, to Daine's relief. She had ended up near the back of the line with Lindhall and the rest of the diplomats that weren't nearly so important as Lady Alanna, Champion of Tortall.

Daine didn't envy Alanna's place at the front of the line, where she had already begun making polite conversation with the crowd of glittering nobles waiting on the shore. Lindhall was tense enough that she could have kneaded on his muscles for an hour with no effect, and they didn't have five minutes. Daine settled for taking his arm and waiting for their turn to move.

By the time that Daine had crossed the long stretch of dock, Alanna had moved through the cluster of nobles, and was talking to the emperor. Daine watched the man for a few seconds, but Ozorne wasn't nearly so intimidating as King Jonathan. She supposed that he was powerful magically, but she had sat through court deliberations before. Ozorne hadn't done any major acts of magic for years. All the rumors said that he preferred to leave the heavy lifting to the man standing a pace behind him.

Master Arram Draper had an atrociously gaudy outfit on, to someone raised in the mountains, or even to most of Tortall. Daine might be a little biased, but she couldn't imagine anyone Alanna associated with wearing so much jewelry at once, let alone spirals of black opals fixed into the collar of a deep black tunic. One of the man's ears was pierced, probably for the sole purpose of dangling a faceted gemstone. There were several rings on his hands, and even his belt had flat gems set into it.

She had seen dozens of mages just like him in Tortall, who were so fascinated by their usefulness and power that they wasted every scrap of their pay on shining things. She would have dismissed every last rumor proclaiming him the Lioness's equal in the next instant, but that was the moment when Arram Draper chose to meet her eyes.


	3. Falter

_This story will use several of the more obscure concepts of magic from the series as they fit within the story, but every main magical point raised is based on some part of the canon. For example, one bit of magic mentioned here is fully described in the _Protector of the Small _quartet. _

**The Emperor's Mage  
Chapter Three: Falter**

Somehow, when Daine had taken in the gems and jewels and opals on the man, she had forgotten that they were in Carthak. In Tortall, she would have looked away from all of the decoration to find someone practically swallowed by the colors and ready to tilt over from the weight of so many stones. When she met Arram's eyes by chance, she forgot entirely about her decision to think of him as a vain fraud.

They might have stood there for a full minute, neither moving, and Daine couldn't help but think that they were sizing each other up. She couldn't imagine how she would be competition for a mage that made Alanna nervous, but maybe he was one of the many people that had an exaggerated opinion of wild magic. Most people seemed to think she could control it fully, or that she'd be able to do any manner of things where she'd take the form of an animal or heal just through touch. All of the oldest stories about wild magic said as much, but in three years of studying she had learned to heal the usual way. Wounds that she sewed or cleaned still healed better, and the animals she treated forever seemed a bit smarter, but there was hardly any great magic to supplement the rather basic healer's kit she carried about. Her only benefit was speaking to the animals, even if she couldn't understand Skysong just yet.

His eyes really were very dark, even against the skin tanned darker than the Bazhir she had met. Alanna was still on good terms with a few of the tribes, and she had taken Daine for a weeks-long trip in the dead of winter two years before. Cloud had adamantly derailed all thoughts of finding Daine a second mount, but Daine had contented herself with meeting an entire new civilization of horses and the people that tended them.

Lindhall gripped her shoulder- rather harshly, she thought. She was about to say so, but Lindhall's mouth was drawn tight and he was glaring at his former student. Daine looked between the two of them, trying to imagine what had upset Lindhall, but Draper turned to speak with the Lioness after just a few moments.

"Are you well, Daine?" Lindhall asked, touching her hand gently. "I should have known he would- well, not that I knew him well, but I might have remembered _that._"

Daine patiently suffered through another few seconds of examination before pushing her teacher's hands away. "Lindhall. I'm perfectly well, my magical core is fine, and he didn't do anything."

"You were staring at him for the longest four minutes of my existence thus far, Veralidaine Sarrasri, and you wouldn't respond when I nudged you. I've probably left a bruise, now, but it was the only way to rouse you." Lindhall rested his hand on that same shoulder, either a nervous gesture or a peace offering. "You've heard all of us nattering on about how strong he is, but I should have provided more in the way of practical examples. You do remember what a reasonably Gifted mage can do to keep your attention?"

Daine's glance slid back toward the tall mage dressed in black. "He wasn't fiddling with any of those gemstones."

Lindhall looked paler than he had on the ship. It made Daine wonder just how much color her teacher would lose during their stay in Carthak. "I was remiss in your education, my dear. Every other mage that I have ever met requires a gem or some sort of object that catches the light to trap you. Duke Roger once caught Alanna just that way. Arram can catch you with his gaze alone, and if you don't know what he's doing, it takes strong outside interference to rouse you."

She supposed she was meant to be taken aback by the rather grim delivery, but Lindhall had lectured her since the king asked Daine to join the delegation. She was very tired of warnings, especially when she had followed every last one of his precious rules and he still was pushing at her. "He won't catch me again."

"Daine..."

"Lindhall. I am here to heal the emperor's birds, and that will be hard enough without you fussing over me any minute of the day. You're here to advise folk about Carthaki politics and because you would've had conniptions if I was here and you were home, and nobody wants to keep you sedated all that long." Daine detached her teacher's hand from her shoulder, but she did it gently. "If it happens even one more time, I'll... I'll hire a monkey to stay in my pocket and pinch me whenever I stay still for too long."

Lindhall would have protested, but Daine was not going to back down because some enemy mage liked staring at people. She had eased her way into the crowd of Tortallan delegates and Carthaki socialites before Lindhall could react. She wasn't thirteen anymore, and it was far past time that Lindhall Reed realized.


	4. Compliment

_Not all of the chapters will be this long. Most won't. Long chapters take much longer to plan out and write, generally, but this chapter ballooned out from the main concept (Daine gets a visit from Alanna) very rapidly. So far, I've been able to use the list of prompts found at _community(dot)livejournal(dot)com(slash)100(underscore)prompts(slash)692(dot)html_ that begins with "threat." _

_A note about pronunciation, for anyone interested: "Ragi" is pronounced rah-gee, and was named for a very fun former coworker of mine that lives in Egypt. _

_A very nice image of an Egyptian plover can be found at _birdblog(dot)merseyblogs(dot)co(dot)uk(slash)EGYPTIAN(percent)20PLOVER(percent)201(dot)jpg. _He will be described later in the story, but a full description didn't fit well in this chapter._

**The Emperor's Mage  
Chapter Four: Compliment**

It took twenty minutes for Daine to dismiss the slaves that had been assigned to her room. It had been a rather masterful little piece of politics, if she did say so herself, because ten minutes after they had left, no one had come to insist that she absolutely needed people waiting on her hand and foot. She barely could understand why her friends in Tortall saw servants as necessary, when anybody should be able to clean up after themselves. It was Daine's firm opinion that if you couldn't dress yourself, it was time to wear something simpler.

Daine was sprawled in her room's beautiful window seat when she heard the knock on the door. She straightened quickly and checked her clothing for bird droppings before turning toward the door. "Come in!"

Daine promptly resumed a far more comfortable posture when Alanna let herself into the room.

"Well, they did take note that you're a young lady in the custody of a noble," Alanna said approvingly, looking around at the gigantic bed and the similarly expensive furnishings. "That'll be good protection for you, here. Carthak is much more sensitive to intent and allegiances than Tortall, and this is nearly the equal of what they handed over to me."

"The window's my favorite part," Daine said, gesturing carefully. A beautiful little black, white, and grey bird was perched on her palm, and with so many new friends to meet she hadn't even thought about getting out the lovely atlas of Carthaki birds that Queen Thayet had found for her. The People were never much bothered with what two-leggers called them in any language, and she was more interested in gossip. The birds at the palace menagerie always wanted to be sure they were living in something like their natural home, and the menagerie keepers at least liked having Daine about. "Did you help with that?"

"Lord Martin made all of the special requests, but you can count me pleasantly surprised." Alanna pulled a chair up next to the window seat. "You didn't have too much trouble dismissing those assigned to keep you coddled?"

"Not at all." Daine had a quick word with her new friends. Most of the birds flew back out the window when they knew they wouldn't remain the center of attention, but her favorite kept his perch on her hand. Ragi still had many wingturns left before it was his turn to mind the clutch of eggs, and he had quite contentedly gorged himself on the scraps of fish that Daine had requested from the chamberlain. "I'll have to tell Sarge that I owe him a really big favor for spelling all that about slaves out for me, about what to do and what to not do. I'd hate to get folk in trouble when I was really meaning to help."

"Helping out everybody here will come later, Goddess willing, but we have our parts set out for us. Peace first, progress after. You'll do just fine, youngling. You've already dealt with the pack of fancy idiots in Corus, and courts around the world are much the same."

Alanna met the little bird's gaze when he trilled at her, but continued when Ragi had nothing more to say. Daine stifled a giggle at the sight of the King's Champion politely tolerating an interruption from a bird. There were quite a few reasons she was very fond of Alanna, and her way with animals was one of the first.

"I've told Lindhall as much, but I don't think he can be rational here. He knows that Carthak is a very dangerous place, and I don't think he remembers being sixteen. He definitely doesn't remember being sixteen and a lovely young woman." Alanna fished into her pocket as she continued. "Of course, I had quite an odd set of circumstances as a sixteen-year-old, but I do remember that was when I start feeling the need to actually be a lady, and when I started noticing boys."

Daine wasn't at all surprised when Alanna held out an amulet to prevent pregnancy. "I brought my old one, but it's still with my things." Daine readily accepted the new charm and fiddled with the tiny clasp of the chain she already wore. George had found a way to set a badger's claw as if it were a gem, and there was no need to wear two chains that tucked into her bodice. "I really don't think this is the best place for any canoodling, but I'll keep this by."

"I wish every child knew more about midwifery. It'd make life quite a bit easier," Alanna said, ruffling her hair. "Now, I know it'd be a fair bit odd, but I would much appreciate it if you'd talk with me before putting that charm into use so long as we're in Carthak. They have a few customs I can go over with you, and that way we'll be sure you're not trapped into a marriage you didn't intend."

Daine touched the charm before tucking it into her dress. "Ma would've really liked you. She said most women get all funny about sex, like they're not meant to like it just as much as men." Daine blushed a little as she continued. "She said that she'll never regret that night with my da, even if he couldn't ever come back."

"A woman after my own heart, your ma. Did you get any response from that letter you sent up to Snowsdale?"

Daine's blush deepened to red. "It came just before I got on the boat, when you were already in your cabin, or I'd've showed you already. There wasn't a bit of rudeness even when I asked right out if my da had come by, and near all the town wrote all sorts of apologies about what happened. A few were just trying to kiss a boot, but most of them felt fair awful. The rest all meant it, and a few said that their bows didn't fire right for ages after I'd been gone. Not until they put up a proper grave for Ma. They guessed they felt too guilty to draw proper."

"Guilt does strange things to a body. I'm not much surprised." Alanna studied Daine over again, just as she did with her own children. She'd said once that you had to take notice, just like that, or children would grow to be adults before you ever realized. "Tortall had quite a gain, and your Cloud looked after you. George said he'd bring the mirror down into the paddock when he calls, so Cloud can look in on you. I'm sure Kitten will be following him around nearly everywhere, so she can have a go, too. It might help them forgive you a tad easier later on."

"I'd doubt it. It'll be a competition for Cloud and Kitten to see which of 'em can ignore me longer from spite that I left at all." Daine whispered a goodbye as Ragi flew back to his nest. Alanna waited, as any of Daine's friends would when she slipped into talking with the People. "There's not been a bit of word from my da, and no strangers have come through the village since I was already there excepting a couple new trappers and one new merchant. My da might've died, too, but I haven't been thinking of him so much." Daine checked again for birth droppings before leaning forward to hug Alanna. "I've got a family, now."

"You have a very possessive family, youngling." Alanna kissed the top of her head, and only managed that with Daine half-bent over to lean out of the window seat. Daine had been taller than her the very first time Alanna had met Onua's latest assistant. "You have Onua, all the rest of the Riders, all of my family, and Lindhall just to name the first few that claim you. We all want you to be safe and happy. Lindhall's narrowing right in on the 'safe,' for the moment, but give the poor man a chance."

"I was good the entire boat ride over, but he was just about to tell me off where the Carthaki folk could listen in. I think he likes acting like my da, but I've never had one and don't much know what to do with one," Daine confided.

Alanna hugged Daine closer, staring out the window as if she'd be able to see all the way to Tortall if she looked just the right way. George's Sight hadn't failed them yet, but sometimes it created the oddest situations. He'd known from the start to talk to the little red-haired purple-eyed boy gaping like a country yokel, and he'd known at first glance just why Onua's latest protege could talk nearly any animal into anything.

George had insisted that gods had their own logic, and she couldn't argue that too heavily. Gods did things on their own time in their own way, they knew that, but Alanna couldn't help wondering. Daine had spent sixteen years not knowing who her father was, now, and the gods knew that Alanna had never been the type to idly accept circumstances.

Alanna excused herself when the next wave of animals streamed through the windows, one of them the tiniest monkey that she had ever seen. She joked with Daine and reminded the girl when the delegation was walking to the formal banquet together, but her mind was somewhere else. Alanna's hand crept to the pendant at her throat as soon Daine's door was shut behind her. She could see the threads of black magic with brilliantly white flecks spread thinly all through the corridors again, but her attention was somewhere farther away even than Pirate's Swoop or Corus. Alanna directed her thoughts directly at the gods.

_You tell her, or I will, _she thought firmly. _If that girl doesn't know by the time we set foot in Tortall again, then you've had quite enough time and reason to tell her. _

Alanna froze halfway through a step when the ember warmed beneath her fingers. If she wasn't mistaken, they agreed with her, but Alanna really should have worked on controlling her impulses by now. The last thing they needed in these negotiations was the attention of the gods, but what was done was finished. She turned on her heel and headed for Lindhall's room. It was time to renegotiate strategy.


	5. Glass

_I actually hadn't planned anything for this chapter besides "state dinner." It took off, and I definitely wasn't going to get any studying done until I had agreed to write all of this down. I hope you enjoy it! _

**The Emperor's Mage  
Chapter Five: Glass**

Daine was never going to be used to state dinners. They were very long, dull, political things where the tiniest mistake would somehow get turned into a disaster, and that was true even when Tortall was hosting a reasonably friendly ambassador. Here, the emperor could take the slightest bit of rudeness as an insult, and the peace talks would be over before they even began. It might have been okay if she'd been at a table with anybody she knew, but Lord Martin and Alanna were with the other important diplomats at the main table.

Even she could tell that the emperor was insulting Lindhall by sticking her teacher in the farthest corner of the room. She wouldn't have minded so much if she was sitting with him, but she had been assigned to a reasonably nice table. Really, it was a very nice one, considering that she was a teenage commoner that only had links to nobility to go boasting about, but so far no one at her table had given her any opportunity to brag. There were still two open seats, but Daine wasn't holding out much hope. The Carthaki nobles were murmuring to each other and looking enviously at the slightly better tables.

The men and the women were painted up just as elaborately with thick lines of color, and every last one of them wore enough sparkling bits of rocks and gems to make any crow jealous. Daine amused herself with imagining a crow's likely reaction to such a bounty, and that involved very determined birds prying the shiniest pieces away from their owner. She might have been content to smile blandly the entire night while imagining how various animals would react, but the seat immediately next to her was claimed by a blonde woman with vividly blue eyes.

"Oh, hello!" the stranger said, smiling. She did have a very pretty smile, and the lines of her makeup weren't nearly as thick as the other nobles'. "And here I didn't think we'd get any fresh blood at our table- I'm Varice Kingsford."

Varice Kingsford was a very pretty woman, even to a girl that regularly had dinner with Queen Thayet. Varice's blonde hair fell perfectly into curls and the light paint on her lips perfectly matched her pink Tortallan-style dress under a white silk mage's robe. Daine was instantly jealous of the woman's curves, but managed to ignore that reflex to focus on Varice's genuine smile.

"Veralidaine Sarrasri, generally called Daine." Daine had no idea if she was meant to do anything else with the introduction, but her new dinner companion didn't seem bothered. Varice actually looked happy to meet her, if the widened eyes were any indication.

"Oh my, his majesty has been kind. I think we can stay with first names if you don't mind. You have been the subject of quite a bit of gossip, dearie, and it'll be lovely to have someone to share stories with. I'll trade stories, it's only fair, and you can be sure to tell me if all you Northern folk would prefer different fare during your stay."

Daine blushed, and sincerely hoped it wasn't the Tortallan variety of gossip. Most people had quite a bit to say about her ma, and recently rumor had it that Daine slept with anyone that would stop to tap her on a shoulder. "I'm quite Northern originally, so I may not be the best judge. I'm Gallan by birth, but I've been a citizen of Tortall for three years."

"I'm Tyran by birth, so I quite understand." Varice stood again with an apologetic smile. "Half the reason I'm seated here is that I'll be up and down the whole meal, but the last of our merry little table should be along soon." Varice glanced at the rest of their table before leaning to whisper in Daine's ear. "Don't mind the others, now, they tend to sit a little closer to his majesty when we don't have guests, and they think the sun doesn't shine on all of us. You look lovely, even if they can't tell with a body not covered in reflective objects."

Daine turned to see Varice better, startled by the compliment, but her new friend smiled before vanishing through a doorway in the back of the room. Now that she thought of it, there hadn't been any fancy adornment on Varice's robe or dress. Daine suddenly felt much better about her blue gown with only sapphire eardrops to set it off.

That is, she did feel better, but then she caught Arram Draper's eyes for the second time that day. She nodded in acknowledgment before facing the table again. It was better to stare at the unhappy nobles all night than be caught up by his magic again.

"Miss Sarrasri?"

Daine took a moment to respond, because she was recalling every single vapid thought that she had ever used to camouflage boredom while at one of these dinners. He took the open chair next to the one Varice had claimed, and when she looked at him there were no useful thoughts for him to catch.

He cleared his throat. "I would like to apologize for earlier. It was an accident, as strange as it may seem, and it took me entirely too long to realize."

Daine relaxed only slightly when that earlier sensation of disconnect didn't set in. Arram could still try it again later, after all. "Apology accepted."

Arram nodded politely. They were only saved an awkward silence because Varice bustled back to the table positively lit up with excitement.

"It'll be a front row seat for you, Daine." Varice said, glancing up to the head table and curtsying. The emperor stood moments later, followed by everyone else in the large hall. Daine was surprised to be nearly the same height as Varice, even as Arram towered over both of them.

Daine supposed she should be paying attention to Ozorne's speech, but Varice was much more interesting. Her eyes were closed as Arram rested both of his hands on her shoulders, murmuring words that sounded harsh to Daine's untrained ear. She didn't understand what was happening until the sense of magic grew strong enough that it was tangible, and the air itself seemed to spark with power. The sensation grew and built until Ozorne raised his arms- another cue, then.

Varice spread her arms and whispered a word that made Daine's teeth hurt. A moment later, platters appeared on every single table, from Ozorne's to the small table in the back of the room where Lindhall jumped at the sudden magic. The emperor sat after a nod to the astonished room, and Daine looked at Varice with new respect.

Arram was very solicitous in pulling out Varice's chair, and bent to let Varice kiss him on the cheek. Daine might have been the only person to notice that Varice was pale and trembling slightly, or that she wasn't holding Arram's arm purely from friendliness. Daine seated herself before the two of them were done, in case Arram had similar designs on her chair.

Arram poured a glass of dark liquid out before sitting. Varice drained it rapidly, seeming to regain her color as soon as the cup was empty.

Daine knew enough about the Gift to be impressed, and liked Varice well enough to be frank. "Lord Martin looks fair interested, Varice, and I know I'm still partial to seeing someone handle that much power."

Varice had regained her color and more. She was flushed with pleasure at the many astonished nobles, Carthaki and Tortallan alike. "Thank you, Daine, you're sweet to mention it. His reaction is rather flattering, but I think I like Sir Gareth the Younger. He's quite a bit cuter than the rest of the delegation."

Arram raised a brow.

Varice rolled her eyes. "You're very cute too, Arram, but the girls are talking. Just because you let me pull on your power for the hundredth time because I don't have the reserves to do something that fancy- would you like to try any of this, Daine?" She pushed the pitcher closer. "It's pomegranate juice, with just a squeeze of lime to set it off."

Reaching for the pitcher, Daine noticed the platters of delicacies for the first time. She felt positively green at the sight, but all the shipboard lessons on diplomacy remained quite firm. They were to eat whatever they were offered at banquets. They could refuse any special offerings, but they weren't to seem above the country's cuisine. It hadn't seemed like such a burden at the time, but that was before she saw a platter of _mice _laid in front of her.

"Oh, I bet you haven't seen those before! They're dormice, rolled in honey and poppy seeds." Varice's beautifully manicured hand popped one into her mouth, and she chewed with every sign of pleasure. Daine felt ready to vomit.

Arram's hands came between Daine and the tray, pouring a second glass of juice. "I've seen it in quite a few readings that wildmages tend to avoid meat, or at least to be extremely selective in their choices," he said, setting the glass in front of Daine as he refilled Varice's.

At that precise moment, Daine didn't care that he was probably an enemy or that he had stopped her in her tracks just a few hours ago or that he did all manner of unsavory things at Emperor Ozorne's directions. He was her favorite person in the entire world, however briefly, because he had saved her from something too horrible to contemplate.

"Fish and some poultry only," Daine agreed instantly. "Domesticated birds like chickens already done into pieces are fine, and it's the same with meat from cattle. I don't eat water creatures that come up for air, but anything else from the water has been fine so far."

Varice accepted that explanation instantly, and looked a little chagrined to not have thought of anything. She immediately listed off entrees that might be acceptable, and Daine was relieved to hear that most everything else would be fine. Arram didn't say much else to Daine, which suited her fine, but he kept the rest of the nobles in conversation and let Daine monopolize Varice's time.

Not even the emperor's announcement (to Alanna, not to Daine herself) that Arram Draper would supervise Daine's efforts at healing the birds dimmed Daine's good mood. She'd let Alanna talk her teacher around, and she would let herself believe that Varice might just be right. Arram might not really be as scary as everyone seemed to think, if he let Varice use his Gift to deliver out trays of appetizers and then the fancy desserts. Varice worked for the emperor, too, and she was just as nice as anyone back from Tortall.

Daine made her decision over dessert. Alanna had stopped by to pass on the emperor's announcement just after the main course, and to compliment Varice on the presentation of the first courses. Arram had continued to look after Varice throughout the dinner, and ended up running back to the kitchens several times when Varice admitted that she should save her strength for later.

She wasn't going to trust Arram Draper because he was kind to Varice, by any means. She was going to give him a chance.


	6. Honor

_I don't think that I changed Varice's character all that much, but I did change the circumstances quite a bit. She's not meeting Daine as some tag-along intruding on Varice's time with Numair. Here, Varice can see quite a bit of herself in an uncertain teenager that doesn't quite fit. She is Ozorne's hostess, and she likes making people happy with cakes and parties. In the books, it didn't help at all that we saw her from Daine's perspective, and Daine saw the pretty blonde that immediately drags Numair off into an alcove to check up. _

**The Emperor's Mage  
Chapter Six: Honor**

Daine smiled when Alanna took her teacher's arm to lead him out of the aviary. Lindhall had gotten better about fussing, but this was far too much for the man. He hadn't wanted Daine within five feet of Arram Draper, and definitely didn't want her to be alone with Draper with only the aviary's birds to protect her. A few people from the Tortallan delegation had been invited to see the famous collection of birds that afternoon, but only Daine would be allowed to stay. When the door shut behind her friends, she turned to face the mage that apparently would be getting whatever she needed. She couldn't imagine him running errands for anybody- or maybe she could. At dinner the night before, he'd certainly done all manner of little things for Varice.

"His imperial majesty has asked that I remain within the room as you work, but bid me to directly observe only if you would allow it." Lindhall had thought his former student would be too vain to play servant to a visiting commoner, but Arram didn't sound any sort of irritated.

"It's not terribly exciting to watch, I'd think," Daine said. The man looked fair approachable now, with his finery and jewels of the day before left behind in favor of plain black linen, but that didn't count for beans. It was more important that the birds recognized him, and even the shyest of them had fond thoughts about the man-with-black-feathers. He came often, they said, and he would bring treats and remember what nestlings liked best. He would even talk to them as if they could understand two-legger mouth-sounds. "You may if you like. I like working on my own, but I usually gather a few hangers-on anyway."

"Any mage would be curious."

"Most mages at home tend to be more traditional," she said diplomatically. Really, they tended to mutter that she was an abomination or unnatural or all manner of unpleasant things, but they did all of that grumbling very quietly after realizing that she was under Alanna's protection. "The lords and ladies have been more obliging, and the mages are becoming accustomed to my method of spellwork." The more courtly speech still felt strange, but this was no place for her more familiar patterns of words. She had a few people to talk to, when she really just wanted to be a commoner for a while, but it seemed that most of the world thought the worse of her for speaking plainly.

"I studied wild magic for my mastery. If it would not interfere, I would be honored to see your technique."

"I don't mind, Master Draper." Daine resisted the urge to smile at him. For Ozorne's most powerful mage, he was very polite. Most mages didn't even like admitting there was such a thing as wild magic, and Tortall's libraries only had four books that mentioned her magic at all.. "The first portion is outright boring. I'm going to check in with the birds, which could take some time of me sitting around not moving." The braver finches were already perched nearby chattering to each other, but so far their conversations hadn't reached out to her.

His posture remained stiff, but his eyes were intent. He hadn't held onto her gaze since the first time, and she knew just what that sort of magic felt like now. Arram was looking at her, but not freezing her, and this time she could focus on all the little things that made up an expression. Expressions were always the hardest thing for her to read, when two-leggers had so many strange ways of making every muscle twitch mean eighteen different things, but she almost felt like they had reached their own truce between Carthak and Tortall in the little bout of staring. He wouldn't interfere while she worked, and she wasn't the type to send anybody to fetch-and-carry for her. When he broke the silence, she had almost forgotten about the birds.

"Arram, please. There's little formality in the aviary." Just as if the birds had understood him, a very large and very wet dropping landed precisely on his shoulder. He continued speaking as if nothing had happened, but there was a wry pull to his words that proved he had a sense of humor somewhere. "For good reason."

Daine couldn't help laughing at the dry delivery of the line. "I'd imagine that you're used to it, spending enough time here that the birds all know you, but I can recommend a few things later to get the shirt back to rights. Once you've cleaned dragon dung out of your favorite shoes, all other messes are easy to fix."

"Dragon dung?" he prompted, one brow raised.

Grinning, Daine sent a silent apology to the birds. It might be a few minutes before she started.


	7. Work

_Next chapter: "Jealous." I can't predict the speed that this story will be updated, but I do have all of it planned out. Some chapters just take longer than others. I still feel that this chapter doesn't exactly fit with the others, but I wanted to move forward in time to get to the fun parts.  
_

_Egyptian plovers (called Carthaki plovers for the story) are really cool birds, and all facts mentioned about them are at least reported to be true. The most famous story (perching in crocodile mouths to clean teeth) has never been officially authenticated, but a few ornithologists say it happened, and it's just too cool to leave out of a later chapter._

**The Emperor's Mage  
Chapter Seven: Work **

For Lindhall's sake, Daine had made a good effort to stay professional and distant in all of her dealings with Arram Draper. With every single afternoon in the emperor's wonderful aviary, that was increasingly difficult.

Alanna was much more sympathetic than her teacher would be, but there was no time to talk about the difference between Ozorne's glittering mage and the charming, slightly awkward man in plain linen that ordered in platters of snacks before Daine even realized she was starving. Alanna was the most famous member of the peace delegation, and scores of Carthaki nobles would come sit in on the talks for a day just to catch a glimpse of her. Most of the chatter had centered on Alanna's red hair and small size until she took out her frustrations about the slow pace by working her way through every single fighter on the practice yard. After that, Alanna had lost most of her mornings to teaching swordplay to dozens of admirers, when not roundly defeating the men who still believed that a woman could not possibly prevail in a fight.

Daine had been invited in for the last twenty minutes of Alanna's mirror-talk with George just the night before, and as promised Kitten and Cloud had been with him. Cloud had looked decidedly unhappy, and Kitten had immediately started scolding Daine for not being there, but she had expected that. It still left Daine feeling better to know that both of them were well. She trusted George completely, but it wasn't easy to mind a young dragon and a sulking pony.

Lindhall was also pulled into the peace talks nearly every day, straight from the end of breakfast until it was time to change for the formal suppers, as the only Tortallan to fully understand the Carthaki court and its politics. He didn't even sit by her at dinners the way that someone had assigned the seats. Daine was hardly lonely with Varice next to her, but she knew that Lindhall worried. It was for the best that Arram had been moved back to the highest table, to the emperor's right. Daine liked Arram well enough, but Lindhall was already having kittens that Daine spent every single one of her afternoons in the aviary with Arram Draper as the only two-legger in sight.

By the time the suppers were over, Daine usually stumbled to her bed and went immediately to sleep. It was hard work to listen to so many birds clamoring for her attention and for healing when she was spending enough time nursing the sicker ones back into health with healing tonics and careful grooming. With Arram watching, she made sure to spend a bit of time crushing together dried herbs and grinding the oil from succulent leaves, but there was really no great herbal remedy that could heal any ailment. She had discovered months ago that she could heal the worst of diseases with nothing but clean water that she slowly fed into animals, but it worked even better if she took longer making her false tonics. She grew the plants herself, after Maude's advice, and harvested and dried the herbs by her own hand. The thick-leafed, waxy succulents lived in her room near a windowsill where she could check on them frequently, and never seemed to fall into ill health from frequent harvestings.

It made no sense to Duke Baird, but Daine could heal nearly any animal if she spent enough time in its company, and using poultices and dips and even plain salves made the effect all that much stronger. Some of the animal healers had better stitching or stronger salves, but wounds that Daine mended always healed the fastest. Her slowest healing- making healing potions from pure water and a few harmless herbs- was slowly working for the birds. She had set out wide, shallow dishes with perches placed along the edges and coaxed all of the mildly ill birds to drink every day. She kept the water fresh, and used smaller, more concentrated tonics for the sickest of the animals.

She had been at it for a week before Arram politely mentioned that there was a more direct way to heal. She'd played innocent, just like Alanna and Lindhall would have wanted, with a protective hand on the healer's kit she carried about everywhere, and he hadn't paid the act the slightest bit of mind.

Arram said that she could heal with wild magic. He said that she could sew together wounds and burn out poison, with nothing more than her mind and her concentration. He said that he could tell her how to focus on just one voice at a time in the crowd of yelling birds, and that it was even possible for her to command any of the People- within reason, that was. Somehow he knew that the rats were contrary and the chickens good for nothing but panic and clucking about eggs. It seemed he knew everything that she had ever wanted to know, and everything that she had never thought to ask.

Lindhall had worried about the way that Arram wore wealth as if it were linen, or the looks that drew attention even in Tortall's capital. He had been worried about the famous charm, the debonair manners, and the vast amount of time Daine would be spending with him.

Lindhall should have worried about Arram's grasp of wild magic. If Daine trusted Arram a little, just enough to go down to the stables with him to have a look at a horse with an injury he swore she should be able to treat in just one afternoon, she might finally be able to use the power that spiraled around her in invisible patterns and that even people were beginning to sense. Arram promised her more in casual, confident assurances than Lindhall had ever been able to hope.

It took nine days for Daine to make her decision, and the only warning she left was a note in her suite of rooms. The slaves only came in to freshen the sheets in the morning (as if anybody needed new sheets each day) and to be sure that dust wasn't gathering in the corners. Daine stopped in her room after lunch. She had intentionally forgotten her gown that morning. Usually, she'd drop a gown off at the nobles' baths on her way to breakfast and leave the aviary thirty minutes before dinner for a nice soak in a hot bath, but she had made a show of barely making it to breakfast on time. Nobody thought it the slightest bit odd that she stopped in her room after lunch with Varice, and if all went well nobody would know she had left a note on her bed with an arrow lying across it.

_I went to the stables with Arram. Someone mentioned the archery practice courts yesterday, and when I said to Arram that I'd never gone this long without stringing my bow, he promised to show me those first. I'll have a whole lot of horses, my bow, and a very protective Carthaki plover tailing me. Ragi's eggchicks just hatched two days ago, and plovers do hardly anything after the chicks hatched. Did you know they can run as soon as they pop out of the egg? _

_I'm fine. I didn't want you to get worried if you went by the aviary and I wasn't there. Go back to the peace talks and finish up so we can go home. _

_-Daine_


	8. Jealous

_The story was delayed while Arram entirely rewrote the ending. I think the second half is much stronger, now, but it took longer than expected to deal with all of the changes that I'll need. _

_Next chapter: Strings_

**The Emperor's Mage  
Chapter Eight: Jealous**

Daine hadn't meant to show off. She was glad to have the excuse to bring her bow along, but she'd intended to find a easy enough target, shoot a few arrows to reassure herself that she wasn't already out of practice, and move on to the stables. That plan vanished with the fourth taunt from the Carthaki soldiers stunned to see a Tortallan woman with a longbow. They had gotten used to Alanna winning against all challenges with a sword, and had decided that it was no shame to lose to the Lioness.

They had no excuses in place for a sixteen-year-old Northerner named for her ma, and she had to grit her teeth against the familiar whispers. To his credit, Arram stopped anything that he heard about her reputation or her ma, but she knew they wouldn't shut up unless they had something else to talk about. She'd just have to make sure they were suitably distracted.

With her irritation fully in mind, she marched to the farthest target. It was barely within the range of her longbow, but it would do nicely. No one was at that target's line to challenge her for the place, so she was free to ignore the incredulous crowd as she grimly strung her bow. She took her time choosing her arrows, delicately setting them head-down into the soft earth of the archery court, and only straightened when she had two dozen arrows in a careful line at her feet, and her lucky griffon-fletched arrow in her hand.

The crowd hushed when she nocked the arrow and set her sights on the distant target. It turned quiet enough to hear the horses three fields over when her arrow sank into very center of the bullseye. She followed that arrow with several others, then made a ring around the central portion with the remaining arrows. It was a rudely ostentatious move, but she'd learned it for embarrassing arrogant Rider trainees into accepting her as the instructor. She didn't turn around until she had checked her bowstring meticulously for any signs of wear.

At least thirty soldiers, most of them scarcely older than she was, were staring at her. Some of them kept glancing back toward her target, but most focused entirely on her.

Arram stepped to her side, as if it was the kind of thing he did every day, and turned a withering look on the gathered men. "I do hope that you are finished dishonoring his majesty's specially invited guest. Should Mistress Sarrasri choose to return to the archery court, I know you will show more courtesy."

It was rather nice to have one of the scariest mages on the planet speaking her part. The incredulous looks faded into bashful shame, and a man with silver hair at his temples stepped forward. He actually bowed to her, and when he met her eyes he looked genuinely regretful. "I hope that you will accept my sincere apologies, Mistress Sarrasri. It was an honor to see the potential behind such a simple weapon, and I hope that you will grace my range again. My name is Nakul. None of my men will bother you further."

Daine had never been one for holding grudges, and the lines in the man's face hadn't been put there by scowling. She nodded regally, Alanna's preferred response to acknowledge people that had come around, but Daine tempered the gesture with a smile. "It would be my pleasure, Nakul."

"I'll fetch your arrows from the target for you. They will be delivered to your rooms, along with replacements for any that were broken."

Nakul promptly had several volunteers competing for the job. A few of them obviously wanted Daine's attention, but Arram chose that moment to remind her of the horse he had mentioned. It was the same strategy her teacher had been using for the last two years. When Lindhall was too bothered by the ways that boys would watch her, he'd start talking about some new animal or a new book of anatomy. So far, Daine hadn't met any two-legger boy more interesting than her friends in the People.

The horse's name was Hanan. She was a chestnut mare of a very, very expensive line of horses, and she was lame in her front right leg. Any other horse might have been killed after four months without much progress, but Hanan had always been a personal favorite of his majesty. She could manage very short bursts of motion, but none of the nation's healers had been able to heal her. The birds were much more personal to Ozorne, but he had been attached to the spirited horse that didn't balk at embellishment.

Daine hadn't the faintest idea how to improve on the horse's care. The soreness was exactly at the back of the cannon bone, like she'd seen in a couple of the knights' great charges, and the tendon for deep flexor was definitely the one with the bad strain. Hanan didn't know what had been different the day that her leg had begun to hurt, but had wonderful things to say about the gold-man that still visited with treats and praise. The stables' healers were doing exactly as anyone in Tortall would have, but she had to do something.

Hanan was very polite while Daine re-wrapped the injury, and held the right front leg completely still as Daine worked. It was far easier to get horses to cooperate while Daine could whisper everything that she was going to do. Given a little warning about when her touch would hurt, and why that hurt was necessary, the spirited Carthaki mare was as meek as a Gallan rock-dove.

One of the stable workers pressed a treat into Daine's hand just as she was promising to visit Hanan again. That made the parting a little easier, especially when Daine mentioned that a few of the men had the curry brush out already. She could have talked with the hostlers for the entire day, but if she was late to dinner she'd have Alanna and Lindhall and everyone in a panic.

"I wish that I could have helped her," Daine said as she walked back to the palace with Arram. "I tried a few of the things that you mentioned, but Hanan didn't feel anything."

Arram didn't say a word for several steps. When she looked over at him, he appeared to be holding a silent debate.

"You might as well tell me." Daine kept the words light, to better hide that she was dying with curiosity. "Even Lindhall admits that you know more about wild magic than anybody."

"You weren't using your magic."

Daine frowned. "What do you mean? I'm using my magic to talk with any of the People, and we had a good long talk."

When Arram finally did respond, the words all flowed together like one of the professors at Corus's academy. "You don't actually need to speak out loud for the animals to hear and understand you. It's a very passive use of your abilities, even if it takes a very strong magical core to begin at all. The Banjiku have a similar talent, but comparing their level of magic to yours is like setting a candle against a bonfire. You have more wild magic than anyone that I've ever seen."

Daine couldn't understand the man at all. He was aloof sometimes, and wore enough wealth to buy all of the land in Galla for himself just as well as anyone could ask, but other times he ran messages to and from a kitchen to help a friend, or his eyes lit up when he talked about her magic.

"I do?"

"Indisputably. You don't know how to use it, if I may be so rude as to phrase it so bluntly, but I think I know how you can start. I'll need to recheck a few facts, but I believe I could help you."

They were walking through the halls of the palace, then, and Daine wasn't the only one surprised by just how warm the man's voice could turn when he was focusing on some puzzle or other. A few passing nobles watched him curiously, and the passing slaves looked just as confused.

"I would like that, Arram." Despite his invitation two days before, it was her first time addressing him by his first name. It seemed like he was at least three different people, sometimes, and this was the version she liked best.

"I have a few commitments tomorrow that aren't worth breaking, but... the next day, perhaps? No one will disturb us in the aviary, and I'll swear by whatever you like to not betray your trust in me."

Daine was a fool, maybe, but she'd been right about people so far. Animals liked him, no matter what the rest of the world said, and the People hadn't led her wrong yet. She held out her hand in the tradition of a peasant making a deal, and he clasped it in the next instant. "I would be honored to work with you."

That would have been the end of it. He smiled at her, they shook hands, and they would work together again in two days' time. She did rather abruptly realize that he was a very attractive man under all of that power, but she also thought that George was handsome, and the king, and Sarge, and Evin, and quite a few of her male friends. It would have been nothing of note as they turned to go their separate ways, but Lindhall was coming down the hall at exactly the wrong time.

He had seen the two of them shaking hands, that was all, but that was enough for Lindhall to look as if he'd caught the pair of them canoodling in the aviary.

Before Daine could say a word, Lindhall had vanished back into his rooms, and she was left alone in the corridor.


	9. Strings

_The nerve that Alanna mentions is real, and is actually pretty easy to find if you know what you're doing. The recurrent laryngeal nerves come back from a much bigger nerve, and the two small branches (one on each side) are the only nerves that make speech possible.  
_

_Next chapter: Semantics_

**The Emperor's Mage  
Chapter Nine: Strings**

It was no use talking to Lindhall until he found time to settle. Daine knew that, and even if she had been in the mood to talk to him she wouldn't have gone up to him at a state dinner. She would never have gone to start a fight with the emperor looking on, but maybe folk would just have to assume she had that many manners. When Daine sat down for yet another of the formal dinners, Lindhall wasn't there.

Arram was also missing, but he wasn't a diplomat representing all of Tortall, and nobody was fooled when Lord Martin made a quiet announcement about Lindhall having a sick headache. Everybody understood when Ozorne mentioned that Arram was in the library, and several of the Carthaki nobles present smiled a little.

It helped that Varice was a professional hostess. She mentioned that Arram might not be seen for the next few days if he found something really good in the library, and that was the only thing remotely personal in their conversation. Daine was in the mood to be offended about something, but Varice wasn't obliging at all. It was for the best, really, because she didn't really want to make Varice pay because Daine was upset with somebody else. She was tired of Lindhall acting like she was a silly child that needed minding all the time. If he had waited for just two minutes, Daine might have calmed him down when he realized that Arram did know the most of anyone about wild magic.

Varice didn't even look annoyed when the conversation dwindled to nothing. Somehow, that irritated Daine more than anything else, and she kept her expression calm only with great effort when she went to visit Alanna after the interminable dinner was over.

Daine hated Carthak, she had decided in the long walk down the halls to Alanna's room. Maybe she didn't hate the country itself so much as what it did to people, but she'd much rather be home. Carthak could send people up to them, and Lindhall could have been a little better if Arram had been in Corus to start lessons. Lindhall himself said that he didn't know another thing about wild magic to teach her. He definitely hadn't said new things about her magic for months.

Alanna was waiting for her in one of the chairs by the window. Daine took the other.

A little songbird chirped a cautious greeting. Daine hadn't made herself calm down for appearances for for basic politeness, but there was no use worrying the birds. It wasn't their fault that two-legger people were pulling her every which way.

_You don't actually need to speak out loud for the animals to hear and understand you, _Arram had said.

It's alright, Daine reassured the bird, holding out her hand. My nest-father forgot that I already can fly is all.

The bird was happy to land on one of her outstretched fingers. The People usually liked any excuse to get close, and the birds in this area had already heard that she carried treats with her. Her new friend very happily ate a few seeds out of her hand before getting down to business.

Your nest-father is the bird-man with the thin head-feathers? the bird asked.

You know him? Daine brought her hand a little closer, the better to see the bird's markings.

His first nest-room had many little bowls of seeds on the wall-holes. Now there is only one, but the sparkle-man still keeps seeds there.

Daine could only think of one person that would fit that description. She'd have to ask another of the birds later. Thank you, wing-friend.

The bird chirped again before flying back out the window. Daine blushed when she realized that Alanna had been staring at her.

"New trick, Daine?" Alanna asked dryly.

"I went with Arram this afternoon to see the archery range, and to see one of the emperor's horses that's a bit lame. He said that I don't need to say anything out loud for the People to understand me, and that I have more wild magic than he's ever seen before."

Alanna tapped her fingers against the arm of her chair. "That would be what had Lindhall in such a tizzy, then. He's terrified that Arram or Ozorne will find a way to keep you here, and he can't defend against your choices. We all are keeping a watch for any charges they might lay against you. Ozorne likes collecting talent, and you indisputably qualify."

"That was Arram's word- indisputably. He thinks that he can teach me, and with as much power as I have, he thinks I could heal."

Alanna didn't say anything for what could have been two minutes. Before she spoke, she twisted her hand in the way that meant no one else would hear them for a while. "I trust your judgment, Daine, but I'm not entirely sure that I trust him. He can be charming with his friends, as you will notice in all of his interactions with the Kingsford woman, but he makes a very dangerous enemy. He also is Ozorne's man, sometimes above all else.

"He's an odd study, and he drives my husband up the wall. You've missed George's rants on that subject, as we're not entirely sure that I should hear all of his stories, but Arram's all about contradictions. The palace slaves used to have their tongues removed. Now, the most important slaves are still mute, but Arram started some program or other where they take a voice away with two tiny cuts." Alanna delicately touched two fingers to her throat. "It's easy enough, if you understand anatomy. There is a nerve on each side, the only nerve that makes the voice box move. If they're cut, you lose nothing but speech."

"Alanna, why-"

"He also oversees all research carried on in Carthak," Alanna continued, just as if Daine hadn't interrupted. "He's done experiments with the Banjiku, a tribal people known for their wild magic, and has led to better treatment for those he works with. Then he'll turn around and we learn that he is Ozorne's first choice in executioner. It's sometimes hard to execute mages with the usual methods, but killing them with a stronger mage is quite doable.

"I think that it could be wonderful that the man has taken an interest in you. He understands wild magic like nobody else on record, and you have nothing else to learn from Onua and Stefan. He's already taught you something that no one in Tortall would have understood, and that was with no effort on his part. He might be able to teach you how to heal, and even to find if those old stories about wildmages taking the forms of animals have some truth. He could also decide at some point, or Ozorne could decide for him, that you are far too precious to slip back to Tortall."

Daine couldn't look at Alanna right then. Her friend was too understanding, too kind about it all. It was easy to put Lindhall's fussing aside when he'd barely say anything about his old student, but Alanna was going to let Daine make the decision even with all that.

It took a few seconds, the way it was getting dark, but Daine found the little bird that hadn't introduced herself—the bird that had liked Arram and Lindhall both. "You still have the spells that keep my magic out from the rest of me." She'd never known the People to be wrong, even in cases where all the rest of the world thought somebody had no kindness left in them. "I know that folk with more charm than use can go in and make a girl see stars, but I don't think that's what he's about."

Daine felt confident for the first time in days, and maybe she didn't have to worry so much about Arram Draper. None of that changed when she met Alanna's eyes. "He understands the magic. It'd be worth knowing him even if I did think that he was out for something, or if the People were leery, but everybody else has been making guesses for years. I don't want to stay, Alanna, but Lindhall can't teach me anything else, and even Stefan and Onua just have tiny bits of magic."

Alanna nodded slowly. "Alright, youngling, I'll work on Lindhall. I can't guarantee results, but I'll tell him that you know what you're doing. All of this is too personal for him, and with the way it all worked out... he barely escaped Carthak with his life, Daine, and Ozorne had already said that Arram would have been the executioner. There are reasons that Lindhall is worried sick about you."

"Arram would have..."

Alanna caught one of Daine's hands. "Ozorne had said so. Nobody knows what Arram would have done, now, but we know what Ozorne is like—he uses people against each other. What we're doing now is the best defense against any of that. I want you to know that you can come to us with your problems. Even Lord Martin, if need be. We're not leaving anybody behind."

Daine barely paid attention in the hug that followed, or the walk back to her rooms. It was her choice, now. She passed several of the slaves that had never said a word to her, and once she swore that she could see the twin scars just where Alanna's fingers had rested. She passed both Lindhall's rooms and the library on her way back.

Arram had said he would be busy the next day, at least, but that only left her with two nights to choose. Even with so many threats of danger, however, she couldn't help but feel like the choice had been made for her. Lindhall had run out of full lessons a year before, and Arram said that she could heal.

She was sure before her head hit the pillow that night, and all through the next day when she and Lindhall talked about everything but Arram. The day after that, Daine excused herself from breakfast and went to see if Arram was already in the aviary.


	10. Semantics

_I kept wanting to type "Numair" for this chapter, and several times I had to go back and correct myself. For anyone wondering: there is a good chance that I won't have to fix that later in the story. _

_Next chapter: Innocence_

**The Emperor's Mage  
Chapter Ten: Semantics**

Arram Draper was a dangerous man. The king had warned Daine long before she had left Tortall, Lindhall had been worrying for weeks, and Alanna had started to watch Arram at meals. It was nothing all that obvious, just the hints that the the Champion of Tortall's king was paying attention. There hadn't been much chance for that, with Arram appearing at only one meal the day before, but Daine had watched the display fondly. Lindhall had fussed and worried and acted as if she were a child that needed constant minding. Alanna rather obviously didn't trust _Arram. _When Daine told the Lioness that she was meeting the strongest mage in Carthak for a private lesson in wild magic, Alanna promised she'd keep Lindhall busy.

Arram was a very dangerous man, as people kept telling her, but it was hard to reconcile all that trouble with someone that could be surrounded in a swarm of bright birds eager for treats and attention. The birds had promised days ago that they wouldn't fly out of the windows, if Daine opened them, so they all were treated to a fresh breeze that lessened the stink of bird droppings.

On that particular morning, Arram's swarm of birds had settled enough to land on his shoulders and arms. One enterprising fellow had even managed to find a perch on one of Arram's ears.

There was nothing to do but laugh, and he didn't look at all irritated. "Good morning, Arram. I see you've made a friend."

"Good morning. I don't suppose you can convince him to leave?" Arram gestured to his ear, gently enough that the birds on his arm tolerated the motion.

Daine focused on the bird, finding the small blue one's voice in all of the birdsong. Excuse me, sir, but my friend would like his ear back.

The bird tilted his head, considering, before flying to Daine's shoulder. That seemed to be the prompt for every bird in the aviary to fly in tight circles around her, and she heard a few birds from outside the aviary entering. One with a familiar voice landed exactly on the top of her head.

"Ragi!" she protested, shooing the rest of the birds away. She carefully picked the bird up in two hands. He knew her well enough that he didn't mind, and even rubbed his beak against her fingers affectionately. "Well, fine. Arram, this is Ragi. He lives in the area by my rooms."

Arram nodded politely to the bird. "Do all animals take to you so quickly?"

Daine bent to set the pest bird on the ground. You're very sweet, Ragi, but this room is for all the other birds. I'll get you a few treats for later. It'd be better to come by my nest-room.

When the plover agreed with a rather sulky chirp, she straightened. "Most of them do. I've had a lot more luck with the warm-bloods, birds 'n mammals, but a few of the snakes in Jon's menagerie thought I wasn't bad for a two-legger. An any-legger, really, because snakes can be snobby as any noble. There's not much use talking with fish, chickens are too dumb to bother, and rats'll never listen to a thing you say just to be contrary."

"Have you tried with any of the crocodiles? I wouldn't recommend getting close, even with your talents, but some of them can live for over a century."

"I've seen them in pictures, that's all. When we were out by the river, I was more focused on all the people on the ship." Daine pushed a disobedient lock of hair behind her ear. She'd had her hair under control until Ragi decided to land on her head. "I think I might have felt a few, though. Cold-blooded animals always think a little slower, and a few of them felt mean."

"They can be incredibly vicious, but not many reptiles care for their young. I've never seen this myself, but some ornithologists claim that they will even let Carthaki plovers- like your friend Ragi- clean out their teeth. The birds actually stand in the crocodile's mouth to do it, the stories say."

"You're pretty good with animals yourself," Daine said, nodding to Arram's friend. The little bird had settled on using his a fold in his shirt as a perch, in the place of an ear, and seemed content to sing mate-songs from his new height. "If you're half as good with wild magic, I'd be honored to learn from you. Talking to animals with my mind is lots easier, especially with the animals that don't make sounds talking back."

Arram's smile was charmingly shy. "Animals give you a chance when no one else will. I'm not fool enough to scorn that chance." He turned always almost immediately after, as if to pretend he hadn't said such a thing, but Daine wasn't offended. "Here. There is a bench in this part of the aviary that should work very well, and I've given orders that we aren't to be disturbed for anything less than this wing of the palace catching fire or falling down."

Daine bit her tongue rather than ask just what had changed his mind. Sometimes he was the friendliest man she could wish for, and sometimes he shifted back to business as the only way of doing things. She sat readily enough when they found the bench, not overly troubled that there were dried bits of bird droppings in several places. Folk were likely to make faces when she walked back to her rooms, but folk always seemed to have something to talk about.

He didn't say anything for a full minute, but she wasn't much bothered. Some of the People insisted on a good long time of staring before saying a single thing. "Have you ever learned meditation?"

"I do it with the Riders all the time, and Alanna. I've gotten pretty good at it." Daine didn't add that it had only been okay after Alanna added in the reinforcements to Daine's essence, to keep things from bleeding all over. Meditation had helped with some of the magic that branched out from her in all directions, according to George and his Sight, but they didn't think wild magic would ever settle.

"Good. That will make this easier, then. From everything that I have read, it will be far easier for you to control your magic if you have some physical manifestation of it. Currently, you don't seem to be fully conscious of when you use magic or when it is present."

He was one of the strangest men she had ever met. Just before, he had been close-mouthed and thinking on something that darkened his expression into shadows, but let him talk about scholarly silliness and he was happy as could be. Daine wouldn't have understood half of that babble just a few years ago, but now she was used to Lindhall getting all excited over some bird or other or Alanna and Jon fighting about obscure spells no one else even remembered.

"Like linking it to one of the senses?" Daine asked.

"Precisely. Sight is generally easiest, and the capacity to see magic is generally a latent talent. If you will allow me, you should be able to see all traces of wild magic, if not more." The little blue bird was moving closer to Arram's ear when he intercepted the creature. His large hand cupped around the bird, transferring it to a shrub within his long reach. "As I was saying- I can help you in this, but it requires some degree of trust and comfort. I will enter your mind for this to work, and the two of us will share senses. I can see magic of several types, and theoretically I would be able to hear animals through you."

"When you say comfort, just what do you mean?" As much as Daine might like him, if it involved taking her shirt off she'd let Alanna at him.

Somehow, Arram seemed to know what she'd been implying, because he flushed and practically stuttered his explanation "Just so you are able to meditate. It makes the process much more smooth if you have a good awareness of your present mental state. I'm working blind as it is, and that would be the equivalent of playing a game where both players are blindfolded."

Daine shifted thoughtfully. "I've meditated in worse before. It's usually on rocks or with trainees all over, when it's not Alanna's younglings. I'll be fine."

Neither of them said anything about trust, but Daine figured that a smart man would have it all figured out. She had closed her eyes when he didn't have anything else to add, and when he touched her shoulder she turned to her right a touch. He was sitting behind her, close enough that she could smell him even with all of the bird and flower scents about. That was precisely the thing not to notice when she was meant to be meditating, even if he was resting his hands against the sides of her head. His hands were warm, and she could feel faint calluses like he was some kind of Tortallan nobleman, not Carthaki.

She set her breathing against her heartbeat, taking care to not make either sound any quieter. Alanna would not be pleased if Daine stopped her own heart again. The rest of her first minute of meditation was always the same. She counted three heartbeats for each breath in and out, and felt around for the wall of fire that kept her magic from herself. Alanna thought enough meditation might let Daine keep the barrier up herself, and it was the way that Daine had been meditating for months now.

She let go any last worries about Arram and Carthak, focusing on the rhythm of her heartbeat, the feel of her magic, and the smell of sandalwood.


	11. Innocence

_This chapter took longer than expected, but I did write chapter twelve in the time since I last posted. That will be up as soon as I check that it will lead into thirteen the right way. Until then, enjoy a longer chapter than I planned. Arram's age is an educated guess. He is in his "late twenties" according to _Wild Magic, _and _The Realms of the Gods _has him "canoodling when [Daine was] four." I believe he is fourteen years older than Daine.__  
_

_My thanks to _MercurialInk _for making this chapter happen._

_Next chapter: Dispose _

**The Emperor's Mage  
Chapter Eleven: Innocence**

It was fair odd, having someone else sliding right into her mind like there had always been two people there, and it felt different than when Alanna had done it to put in the barrier. Alanna had linked with her a few times since, to check that the shield was in place and keeping the wild magic out from some kind of essence or core that all folk had, but Daine had never been able to see her magic before.

The core was a blazing white that would have hurt her eyes, if she were to actually be using them, and it was far more powerful than she might have predicted. It looked strong, and seemed to wrap the amethyst magic into its edges, but she knew somehow that it would have lost the fight against the wild copper that spread out in all directions from around that center. It was in a rough order, but it looked to her like badly snarled hair. Little Aly was very fond of getting her hair as tangled as a bramble bush, and Daine was one of the few folk at Pirate's Swoop with the patience to untangle it all out.

George was always the best, because he could distract the scamp with talk of spying while his quick hands used combs as surely as he used his knives, but Daine was the second. Maude was good, too, but her hands were too old to get some of the tinier knots out. Daine would tell Aly stories and stories about the People as she worked through the knots, until the strawberry-blonde hair was smooth again. Sometimes the hair shone, and the pretty color had a glint to it that rivaled the copper for brightness, but generally the color was dampened out by mud.

_Focus, _a voice said quietly, and Daine obediently focused on the rhythm of her heart. It was very loud, but a very impressive tantrum from the Lioness had dissuaded her from every trying to quieten the noise. Daine had stopped the noise, but she'd stopped her own heart along with it.

The quiet chuckle seemed to resonate through her. _Nothing so reckless, magelet. Focus on your magic._

Daine followed the copper, this time, imagining that it really was strands of hair woven into such a mess. Long practice let her find the sources of the worst knots at a glance, and just a few nudges had the magic settling into something that looked a touch more tame.

_Good. That gives you more of a feel for what your magic should feel like—here. _A hand moved into her view, tanned far darker than George's would be, and she realized all over again that she wasn't home. She was in Carthak in the emperor's aviary, and she had somebody in her mind when she didn't even know how old he was.

_Thirty, if that is truly in question,_ Arram told her. He twisted his hand, and black flared around it like a silk scarf with white lights shimmering all through it. _I can see magic, of all types, and I'm sharing the ability with you. I don't think that you will see everything, later, but you should retain the knowledge of your own magic. I believe that you may develop this sight on your own, in time, but this will be much more efficient. _

Daine shifted, knowing without being told that she had to move very gently, and looked around the aviary. The sight of it caught her breath, and only instinct reminded her to breathe again a few seconds later.

Every leaf of the many shrubs was lit with an emerald fire, and even the vines crawling the windows and the low, sprawling plants on the grounds had that same light. The flowers lit in colors that she'd never seen before that were brighter than any lady at court, and the birds perched about glowed with copper and some reddish aura. When she looked at her own hands, she could see a dim red following where her arteries would be. That same copper wrapped around that red again and again, and the twin arches of blood in her hand had never been so obvious. It was exactly as her books had showed, and when she flexed her fingers she could see the arteries shift.

_You use your magic when you speak with animals. With enough practice, you have the ability to command nearly any of them. _

"There's no need for commanding," she corrected quietly. Her voice sounded half-there, as if the words were coming from far away. "Most of 'em will do as I ask without anything of the sort, and they'd not be likely to help me out a second time if I went about giving orders for the first."

_Not all think as you do. Call to someone familiar, instead, but use your magic. _

"I barely know any of the People around here, but..." Daine spread out her awareness without guidance, and it seemed to her that she could feel the red auras and the glimmering Gifts of everyone in the palace. That would be Arram's Gift, then, strong enough that he could feel even the horses and hostlers out in the stables.

_The horses are your doing. My awareness spreads only to people. _

If she could reach that far, the decision was easy. "Do you have any treats on hand for the birds? The meat-eaters."

_I have some left, yes, and I will be able to reach without ending the connection. _

"I'll need something if I'm calling my friend back. He's likely to sulk."

One of his hands left her temple, but almost before she could process the change her right palm was filled with lumpy meal that smelled of fish. It wasn't exactly what her friend would be used to, but it at least was suited for a carnivore.

Ragi, she called quietly. Ragi, would you please come back for a minute?

She felt the bird's irritation, and a distinct air of sulking, but she shared the impression of the treats and of embarrassed guilt. The plover waited for several seconds, to be sure that Daine knew her place, but came around quickly enough. He neatly put himself through a half-open window, and landed rather solidly on Daine's knee.

She could see the copper woven through him with the red, but something in Ragi was a little different. There were tiny, barely visible threads of copper shifting away from a pattern that she already knew, spreading through him in a way she didn't understand. His eyes seemed very sharp as they focused on her, but soon enough he dipped his head and ate the food from her hand. Despite his rather obvious irritation, he was gentle, and she barely felt his beak on her palm as he ate with neat motions.

"What's all of that?" She focused on the changes, and felt her vision change so that it was like she was looking through George's spyglass. She could see that the threads were actually more like a spider's web, spreading all around with tiny fragments of her magic.

_You have an effect on the animals around you. They become 'smarter,' in a sense—they begin to think more as humans might. _

"You mean I change them forever?"

_Yes, you do, but the changes you have made were never ill-meant. Intention is almost everything, when it comes to magic. _

Ragi tilted his head to focus on her, and his voice sounded all the more resonant with Arram's mind listening in. You are a strange egg-chick, to worry about the way that you fly. Your magic calls out to all of us, and any of the People should be glad for the attention.

His voice had changed, just in the small time that she had known him, but he didn't seem that he was suffering. She still felt that she had to ask. Is it bad, this new way to think?

No. I see, now, and I know that men can put down weapons and become less dangerous. The little boy is no danger, without the leather or the stone in his hand. Now I know when it is safe to let them feed me fish. My mate died when a boy tempted her with treats, and then killed her with the rock.

I'm so sorry!

I will miss her, but our egg-chicks look as she did, and they are strong. I have told them what happened to her, and they will not do the same. They think as she did, still, but perhaps they will meet you before you leave this place.

Animals never thought of the future that way. Daine's hand shook as she smoothed down the soft feathers at Ragi's neck, and she fixed the sight of him in her mind. She had known for years, really, since Hakkon had liked for her to train up falcons to make them more clever. She knew from the way that Cloud was just as wry and clever as any two-legger, and the way that little Gimpy had matured since she'd come to Pirate's Swoop and that Darkmoon was near as smart as Cloud, but it was another thing entirely to see the change so quickly. It had only been a few days.

Thank you for coming, Ragi. It helped me a lot, she said politely. Shock was no reason to go forgetting her manners.

Ragi bowed his head to her, and then to Arram, before flying from the room with that odd grace she only seemed to find in shorebirds.

_That's enough, I think, _Arram said. He continued before Daine could protest, or maybe because she would argue. _You're going to be exhausted, and Lindhall would have kittens if I were the one to put you to bed. Let's leave you with energy to tell Alanna that you yet live before sleeping for a day and a half. _

"Can we have another lesson tomorrow night, then, if it'll just be a day and a half?"

Time had felt fair strange since the colors lit up all around them, with the brilliant colors of the flowers and the green all over and the dim brown all through the floor, but it still felt like he waited quite a bit of time before he answered. _Tomorrow night, then, after dinner. I imagine I can think of a few more things to show you._

Daine looked at her magic again, to remember the sight properly, and felt his approval. She wanted a few more moments. He had to know she was delaying, but he hadn't stopped her yet. Alanna had never been so thorough in linking minds, and that had always been for the specific purpose of stopping Daine from going mad all over again.

"You called me something, before."

"Did I?" Arram's voice was just the same as she remembered, but hearing only through her ears felt disappointing after the alternative.

Daine had always had a good memory, and that was before living for near three years at Pirate's Swoop. Alanna was like an older sister to her, but that meant she also had George about to teach her tricks with her memory when he wasn't showing her weapons. "Magelet," Daine said confidently, in the only tone that would convince George in their games. "What does it mean?"

"Ah—little mage, that's all." That seemed to be his cue to retreat, because his hands fell back to his own lap. In that same motion, he stood, and he seemed to tower over her as he offered a hand.

Daine accepted. She felt a little unsteady even before letting him pull her to her feet. "Goddess that takes a lot out of a girl. If I'm not awake tomorrow night I'm sure you'll understand."

"I imagine that you will be, Daine. You're far stronger than even I had anticipated. Your magic bends in and around itself, and conceals its size in the way something with a physical form would never be able to accomplish."

Daine was far too tired for scholar-babble, and he sounded so much like her teacher that the response was automatic. "Speak Common or I'll never get this worked out," she reproached him. "You could just say all that normal."

"I could," he allowed, relenting just as quickly as Lindhall always would. "My university tutors, however, would surely think that I'd neglected my lessons for too long, and humans tend to be impressed when you use five syllables when two might have done."

She rolled her eyes. They had linked minds enough that she knew the gesture wouldn't offend him, and teasing about academics had left her on more familiar footing. "It won't work on me, then. I'm off to check in with Alanna and maybe go to my room from there, but the couches are better'n a lord's bed in Galla." She remembered that manners should extend to humans rather belatedly, and managed a bob of a curtsy. "My thanks for the lesson, Arram. I think I can still see the copper, but we'll see when I'm properly awake."

"It was my pleasure, Daine."

She supposed there could be some undertone in the words, and maybe some manipulation in the way that the shy smile made him look as dangerous as a newborn rabbit, but all she felt was tired. She managed her way to the right wing of the palace by sheer stubbornness, and once there Alanna promptly put her to bed like she was eight instead of sixteen. Daine didn't much mind it, coming from Alanna, and anyway the Lioness had the most marvelous ways of battling sleeplessness there could be. Daine didn't tend to sleep well with the sun shining about her, but Alanna had drawn the gauzy curtains and pulled a chair over to Daine's bedside.

"I don't need to go gut him for taking liberties?" Alanna asked. Her voice had that wry cast it usually did, but it was low like a lullaby. "It's rather messy, but it would suit my reputation."

"No mum. He's nice, or at least he's nice with me. Arram told me how to see magic." Even when Daine's words came out as a mumble, she still kept the full story a secret. Somehow she knew that Alanna wouldn't have approved of taking such risks, and it felt rather private. "M'having a lesson again tomorrow, at night."

"Very well, magelet." Alanna kissed Daine's forehead, so gently that it felt like a butterfly landing. "I'll distract Lindhall again. I trust your judgment, and you'll not meet someone that knows more about this magic of yours."

"He said that," Daine whispered, half asleep from the feel of Alanna's hand on against her cheek. She had the faint suspicion that the Lioness was cheating, using magic to make Daine feel even more tired, but couldn't bring herself to care. She felt safe and comfortable, and perhaps that was why the word floated out with no real coaxing. "Magelet."

Daine's eyelashes fluttered shut, and it was several minutes later that Alanna rose silently. When the Lioness took to the hall, she did so with the intention of finding this Arram Draper and having several words with him. None of them were going to be magelet.


	12. Dispose

_Some of these chapters will be shorter than others. I have specific ideas in mind for some scenes that take more description and more action. Others rely on brief conversations. _

_Next chapter: Blaze_

**The Emperor's Mage  
Chapter Twelve: Dispose**

The room wasn't silent, but it was very quiet. It was difficult to find true silence in a palace with thousands of people in residence, even when the emperor ordered that more and more of his slaves be mute. The slaves, servants, and courtiers alike walked with careful treads in silk shoes, but even that created sound that the stones couldn't exclude. The nobles spoke in low voices, the kitchen workers made quiet clatters as they worked, and the birds sang.

It wasn't silent, but the afternoon's oppressive quiet was just as unnerving. For several minutes after Arram's recounting of the previous day's lesson with Veralidaine Sarrasri, the emperor had waited, hardly seeming to breathe. On some cue that no one understood, not even the man that had been his closest friend, the emperor exhaled at an audible volume.

"You're leaving something out, Arram. The librarians note which volumes that you check, and you have only addressed four of the points that you had hoped to learn."

"The girl's power isn't what I would have thought, your majesty. It is strong, but that is a measure of the quantity itself. If power alone were the judge of talent, then Master Emeka would be my equal." Arram's argument was voiced in the politest of tones, with pauses to watch for a poor reaction from Ozorne. "I cannot determine how she gained so much power, but her name is telling. Her father is an unknown man. Her last name is case enough for that, as you noticed immediately. Miss Sarrasri is a bastard child, and there may well be children all across the North with her abilities."

"She is powerful enough."

Arram knew from the emperor's expression alone, that cool look that had grown natural in the year before Lindhall had been forced to flee Carthak. Ozorne had been a close friend, once, but he had always been furious to be second-best in anything. If he couldn't possess it, he would settle for controlling it. If control was not an option, the only step left in Ozorne's shallow hierarchy was disposal.

"We will have the girl remain in Carthak. You did propose several methods last year that might be able to hold a wildmage captive without allowing every animal on the island to rise against her. Put them into readiness."

Arram wanted to argue, but there was nothing to gain in arguing with Ozorne. It only made the prize more interesting, especially when the object of his latest fascination was the child of a god. Ozorne thought himself to be above the gods, and to be above such things as consequence. Two of his heirs had been dead for nearly a decade, now, and Ozorne had ordered Kaddar's death two years before. Arguing hadn't removed Kaddar's sentence. It had only ended with giving Arram the responsibility for killing the young man, just as with so many other mages that had displeased Ozorne.

"Do you have any objections, Arram?" Ozorne's tone was a shallow imitation of the care he would have felt all those years ago, when the two of them had been the most gifted students that the Carthaki universities had ever seen. Together, they would have solved the mystery of the barrier between the mortal realms and the gods, and they would have known the very essence of greatness.

Now, Ozorne toyed with a ring. It was a large black opal, so pure in composition and form that it could have ransomed two kings and even then purchased them each a nation. It would have covered a quarter of Arram's palm, if it ever left Ozorne's hand, but the decoration had long left a mark against Ozorne's knuckles. It glinted in the darkness, a silent reminder of the nature of their relationship.

"Of course not, your majesty. I am sure that I will be able to show her all that she will need to know." It would be easier if Daine could be convinced to stay, but he had seen her with the Lioness and with Lindhall. She would never betray friends, and blackmail would have little effect with so many silent messengers to bring her help.

His life had never been so easy. She would fight them tooth and nail, drawing the attention of every animal within a very large radius, and with the full support of the Lioness and Tortall. If Daine still trusted him some small amount, he could use that to put the smallest touch of dreamrose in her water. Few drugs known to the "civilized" Carthakis worked well with the Banjiku, but a few experiments had shown that wildmages were remarkably susceptible to the substance. The few hostlers with touches of wild magic had agreed to take a quarter-dose of dreamrose with the promise of two days off and pay for time asleep. All of them had dreamed for at least ten hours. The most powerful had slept for twenty on a dose that wouldn't affect a housecat.

Ozorne had been studying Arram all the while, and must have found the decision that he wanted. He waved the hand with the opal ring in a clear dismissal. Arram bowed to the throne before backing gracefully from the room. He didn't relax when he shut the door behind him, and felt no more at ease during the long walk to the palace aviaries. He relaxed only when he reached one of the few safe havens and found that Daine wasn't there. There was no way he could face her now, and little chance that he would be able to face her that night.

Lindhall must have warned her about the emperor's pet mage. It was a pity for all of them that she hadn't listened.


	13. Blaze

_I think this chapter might have been the trickiest yet, if only because I've never written the badger before. His voice is tricky to catch, but this conversation felt like it fit the dream-walking he did in the books._

_Next chapter: Neglect_

**The Emperor's Mage  
Chapter Thirteen: Blaze **

_It was a very pretty field, with tiny wildflowers in white and blue scattered all through ground plants that came up past her ankles, but it wasn't the kind of place she would find anywhere in Carthak. The little wildflowers were something she might've seen in Galla. Snow-lace only grew up north enough that the ground froze solid in every winter, and it was always the first flower to come when the snow melted and the earth thawed a little. She belt close to study the flowers, but the bright colors and the lights from the aviary were just a memory. _

_She studied her arms as she sat in the flowers, following the veins of copper that pulsed faintly as if they were just as alive as she was. She didn't seen any of the red, but the copper had stayed with her. _

"_There you are." The badger lumbered up to her, nearly sacrificing dignity for speed, and butted his head against her hand. He wasn't asking to be petted, like most, but she cupped her hand along the side of his neck as a kind of hello. "You'll be able to see your magic, now, and tell anybody that has it at a glance. This was the last step you really needed to start with everything else. Unless things change, though, you'll only get one more lesson with that Draper fellow. Use it well." _

"_What do you mean, we'll only get one more lesson? I'm learning a lot from him." _

"_I know, kit." The badger rubbed the back of his paw against his muzzle, looking exactly like King Jon rubbing at his whiskers. "I certainly didn't want it to come to this, but you'll need to be very careful. Ozorne wants to keep you here, and he doesn't particularly care if you agree or not." _

"_Alanna wouldn't let him." The words should have sounded stronger, but Daine knew the facts all too well. Arram was the match for Alanna's late twin, and that was without counting Ozorne or all of the other Carthaki mages in yelling distance. "Would she?" _

"_It would be the start of an international incident, if Ozorne took you, and..." The badger looked away, something he didn't do often. "I can't tell you, kit. There are rules to all of this. I can only give clues. Your father would want revenge, if you were kept here, and by the time he and Alanna pulled in all the allies they could muster thousands of people would die. Tortall will not let you be kept prisoner here, but your friends only have the advantage on Tortallan soil." _

"_You can't say anything about my da?" _

"_Nothing more than I've already told you." The badger nudged her knee apologetically. "You'll know in time, kit, I can promise you that. You might think of that as a lesson." _

_Daine's forehead wrinkled. Her friend had always been cryptic, but this was far more than she'd wanted. "It's a lesson that I'll know about him later?" _

"_Your lesson tonight. You'll wake up in a few hours or so, and if you want to find that mage you'll have to go straight to the aviary. Draper's likely to be cagey, but you need this second lesson. Now, how much you get out of it is up to you, but... he's already told you how to heal, and now you can feel your magic properly." _

_He nearly blinded her with a sudden blaze of copper when he shifted forward, but half a moment later he was just a badger with the threads and threads of copper she'd expect from a smart animal. _

"_You're saying I shouldn't ask about healing tonight," Daine said. "I should... ask who my da is?" That made even less sense. "It's not Arram, is it?" _

_The badger shook his head. "No. It's not him, but he'll know who it is, and the bindings on me won't apply to him. He has his own rules to follow. You must go on with the lesson tonight. It'll be enough if he just answers one question for you, even, but it's important." _

"_Badger, why would Arram know who my da is?" _

"_Ask him, Veralidaine." _

_The badger had never used her full name before. When she rested her hand on his back, she could feel just how tense he was. "Okay. He needs to answer at least one question for me for... whatever it is that you want?" _

_The relieved huff of air smelled like rotted meat. "That's my kit. One question and you'll have it. Rest, now, because this is going to be a very important lesson." _

_Daine laid back in the wildflowers. They didn't have a scent, but the badger shuffled up next to her. He didn't say anything else, so she stared at the dream's blue sky until it shifted to something else._


	14. Neglect

_Characters seem to multiply entirely too quickly in this universe. I do have a use for the young Rider employee that I introduce, and he'll come back in time._

_Next chapter: Quake_

**The Emperor's Mage  
Chapter Fourteen: Neglect**

Alanna had forgotten her earlier plans for some verbal evisceration of Arram Draper. He had used a pet name with her youngling, but if that was such a crime then she, George, Thayet, and all of the Riders would be just as guilty. Daine had looked peacefully at rest that morning when Alanna had checked in, and the same had been true just before dinner. One of the palace slaves had readily agreed to have a meal ready for Daine when she was up, and Alanna didn't need to be hovering over the child. She had withdrawn to one of the beautiful gardens with a previously-enchanted mirror for a scheduled talk with her husband.

It was very hard to resist all three of her little terrors climbing over George to tell her about their day first, and only when the trio was duly satisfied did he mention what he'd been doing.

They didn't talk about anything secret. She mentioned the least contentious parts of the peace treaty, and he left out any mentions of his spywork, but that was alright. They both were doing their jobs, and doing their best, and they could compare details later. Until then, it was nice to joke with him about just what she was missing, and the latest in the Riders' pet love saga.

Sarge had taken in a Carthaki refugee two years back. The Riders had readily found a place for the man, and would have taken someone with no more use than an extra set of eyes on the field. Amadi had ended up invaluable, to no one's great surprise, and had single-handedly talked several of their brattiest recruits into shaping up. He and the meekest horses had little to do for each other, but he could pick the most spirited pony out of Onua's fresh arrivals and ride it bareback an hour later.

It was only natural that some girl or other would take an interest, and in this case twelve-year-old Princess Kalasin had proved precocious. Amadi seemed to have no idea what to do with his royal admirer, but after a few awkward weeks of fumbling for the proper protocol he had offered the princess lessons in riding without a saddle. It was a pastime that her father would have hated—if Thayet had told him before Kalasin had proved to be a natural.

Alanna hadn't witnessed the start of this, but she loved any story that would get Jon flustered so quickly. It didn't hurt at all that Kalasin was beginning to develop as a woman, and she was doing so with the protective eyes of the Riders all around her. From all accounts, Amadi had kissed her hand in a very courtly gesture at the last of the dances, and even Buri had melted at how happy Kally had looked.

The children had quickly grown bored when George slipped into an extended description of that dance. It seemed that Onua had made a teasing comment to Sarge about being shown up by his protege, and the next thing anybody knew Onua and Sarge were flying through the steps of a K'mir number that left half of the dance floor behind. As if that hadn't been enough, they were left alone on the floor with Kalasin and Amadi after a wickedly complicated Carthaki piece.

The children had disappeared in favor of more interesting topics, and that had left her with a few minutes to speak to George without little ears listening in. Maude could still hear, as she was providing the anchoring Gift in Pirate's Swoop to allow the magic to work, but they tended to keep any dirty talk to in-person meetings. It was just embarrassing for a spymaster to be caught with a written record, let alone for the King's Champion to be found with naughty love letters.

In short, Alanna was in a rather spectacular mood when she saw a familiar dark figure moving through the gardens. Arram had tried to say something to Lindhall in the corridor after dinner, and the rebuff had been cold enough to make Alanna wonder if it wasn't all a little too personal. Maybe that was the reason that she called out.

"Master Draper, good evening. I must say that your nation's weather puts ours to shame, so long as the sun's not beating down on everything."

Arram looked rather surprised, but he had spent far too long at court for that to last very long. There was something under the polite expression that he adopted, some emotion that she couldn't read, but he didn't have the look of someone that wanted to be alone. "Good evening. Is Sir Alanna the correct title?"

"Indeed it is, but I've never been immensely fond of formality." To emphasize the point, she patted the other end of the long stone bench she had claimed. "From what I understand, you've made quite remarkable progress with Miss Sarrasri."

She didn't understand the hesitance in his expression when he took the seat. Maybe he wasn't expecting her to be friendly. It was a bit of a surprise to her, too, but her instincts hadn't failed her yet.

"She's a rather remarkable student, Alanna." He paused after saying her name, as if waiting for a correction, and seemed slightly more relaxed when she only smiled. It was hard to dislike someone that complimented one of Alanna's favorite people. "I was glad that I was able to help. I know a rather obscure visualization exercise, and mages with a fifth of her power had precious little control before having a good way to sense their magic. One Banjiku elder ended up manifesting the sense as taste."

Thom might have liked this mage, if her foolish brother had been able to avoid jealousy.

Perhaps that wasn't fair. Thom had gotten along well enough with people that were his equal, but he had been far too quick to dismiss the rest of humanity as worthless.

For all of Lindhall's worries, Arram didn't have that sort of arrogance. The man understood his power, definitely, but that was a requirement for a mage of his caliber. If he didn't understand that he could do things the rest of the world could not, he would hurt someone. Arram seemed to be one of those rare people that could harness a substantial amount of power without forgetting that he was human, too.

Lindhall would be very upset if he knew that Alanna was coming around to thinking his old student was a good man despite everything. She would just have to keep this new appraisal to herself for a while. "She was still asleep, last I checked on her, and she's old enough that hovering wouldn't make her feel comforted so much as cossetted. Daine has never been one for too much fuss."

"I've promised her another lesson tonight, if she wakes when I'd expect. I don't know if she expects me to top the last one."

Alanna chuckled. "That's the problem with doing amazing things, Arram. People start expecting you to do them regularly." She shifted slightly on the bench. "It feels plain unnatural to have comfortable stone benches about. Did someone spell these?"

"Varice Kingsford's work. She's always had a mind for detail."

Alanna smiled. "I've been meaning to catch her for a minute, but she always seems to be busy. She's kept Daine company through all of the formal dinners, and that means quite a bit to me. People in Tortall might have lovely reputations, but nobles are nobles are nobles. They'll barely sup with me for marrying a commoner when I'm the King's Champion. They want nothing to do with a common-born teenager."

"They are at a loss, then," Arram said. "I'll be sure to pass your message to Varice."

If she wasn't mistaken, the two of them were lovers, so it would hardly be difficult for Arram to find the woman. It wasn't any of Alanna's business, however, so she let it drop. "Just what do you have planned for tonight, then? Daine barely had time to say anything when she toddled back yesterday."

"I don't know where to begin, honestly, but I know that she was interested in learning to heal."

"You're the expert. What can wildmages do?"

Arram had looked quietly broody for the entire night, and she was amazed that it had taken so long for her to recognize that state of affairs. It was like watching Raoul for that first year when he stepped away from alcohol. Even when the conversation was about something else and everything was going well, there was something unsaid that was bothering him. Give him a distraction, however, and his entire manner changed. This was a man that liked a puzzle, and Myles might like him for that alone.

"The better question would be to ask what they cannot do," Arram said after gathering his thoughts. "There are accounts that they can take the form of nearly any animal, and that they can heal even deceased animals. Some even took an immortal's shape, but once you take that form there is no way to change back—that is the basis for some of the romantic stories told to children, incidentally, where a normally predatory immortal could be tamed by someone who had previously known the wildmage."

"It's good that she has you teaching the lessons, then. I certainly haven't heard any of this before."

"Most of the books are all locked up in our libraries. I think I would push through peace only to let the universities finally send things back and forth again."

He definitely was the kind of man that Myles could talk to for a week. "I'll keep that in mind as a bargaining chip, then. Just what else can I bring to the table, if you're giving me hints?"

Somehow, she had lost him when the subject changed away from the wonders of wild magic. The strange look returned to him again, as if he was keeping something from her. That was no great sin, seeing as they were one conversation from strangers. "You know what Ozorne wants. He'll take everything that he can get you to offer, no matter what tactics that it will take, and then he will find ways to control it."

Stray touching between strange mages was generally frowned upon, but something was weighing heavily on the man's mind. Alanna caught his wrist gently, and knew that her expression was gentle when she met his startled gaze. "Daine is like a sister to me, for all that I'm twice her age. She has the kind of maturity that you win the hard way, and she's not a fool for good looks or nice manners. My Daine has a very high opinion of you, Master Draper. I've never known her to be wrong."

Arram Draper might just be the strongest mage in the world, but he was trapped in her gentle grip as surely as if she'd caught him up in a focus. He didn't have the words to interrupt her. "She knows a great deal about what you've done for Ozorne and for the animals. Whatever you teach her, it will be more than my husband and I have managed in almost three years."

Sometimes, people needed their space when you'd given them any sort of shocking news. Alanna squeezed his wrist gently before she stood. "Daine will undoubtedly want to go straight to the aviary when she wakes, but it will be simple enough for her to know if you are ready. The birds will tell her."

Arram nodded, but he was already lost. Alanna left, the only polite thing to do, and only thought to look at his aura when she was fifty strides away. She glanced over her shoulder, running thumb and forefinger against her ember-stone, but she couldn't see anything of interest from so far away. All she could see was the black of his aura and clothing mixed in with the emerald green of the gardens, with reflecting motes of white all around him.


	15. Quake

_At the risk of making Varice unpopular all over again: Daine and Arram are not close to beginning a physical relationship or to falling in love. She is sixteen. He's thirty, and is in a relationship with Varice Kingsford, however casual it may be. Daine hasn't even known him for a month yet. Do they have a future possibility? Maybe, but there won't be any romantic fluff between them any time soon._

_Next chapter: Guess_

**The Emperor's Mage  
Chapter Fifteen: Quake**

Daine was practically bouncing as she made her way to the aviary. Badger was always cryptic and foreboding and worried, so there was no use getting worked up about the latest warning. All of his previous advice had worked out just fine, and telling Alanna and Onua about the madness was far worse than getting Arram to answer just one question. She could see the copper threading through every animal she passed, and when she walked through the aviary's doors her mood spread to the birds nearly instantly.

They sang all at once as they flew around and around her, and she finally had to shoo away her brightly-colored cyclone of birds so that she'd be able to move without hitting someone. Ragi was there, looking very defiant as he pulled a few of her curls out of place.

Daine rolled her eyes as she stroked the nuisance's neck. He was a very fetching bird, with all of the gray and white and black plumage, but he was far too bulky to perch properly on her shoulder. "I'll visit with you tomorrow, silly bird." She could speak to him with just her mind, but it seemed rude when Arram was just ten feet away. "Thank you for coming to say hello."

Ragi drew himself up proudly and tugged at a curl one last time before flying for the window.

"I can still see the wild magic, Arram!" Daine had almost expected him to say hello first, but maybe he was just waiting for her to be done speaking with all the birds. He was polite like that. "You were right about the sleeping, though. I haven't been under that deep for a while."

She didn't realize that her hand automatically went to the badger claw that always hung around her neck, attached to a silver chain by wire fastenings secured by magic.

He was still struggling for a reply when she sidled over, stopping only when she was close enough to find the shadows under his eyes. "You're upset over something," Daine said quietly, regretting her rather exuberant welcome. "I'm much better with animal emotions than with two-leggers."

"It's nothing." That was clearly a lie, with the way that his mouth thinned to a line, but she waited. "I don't know what shape I am in to give a lesson."

Badger had said to get one question answered. She wouldn't waste it on silly details, when there were so many things that she wanted to know. "You don't need to be giving a full lesson like that every time," Daine said. He was so tense that the decision was made for her. She took his elbow, just like she was leading some silly Rider trainee that was scared of horses, and led him to the bench they'd used before. "We can just talk. That'll be easier on you, I'd think."

"Perhaps."

Daine thought he probably needed hugging more than anything, but most folk in Carthak had far too much dignity for that much honest emotion in one display. She'd been pushing enough by taking his elbow, but he'd sat with her and not fussed. "Sometimes it's better to have folk ask a question, when you don't know what to say. I know there are hundreds of things that I want to ask you."

Just as she thought, that made him sit a little taller, and even brought a little light back into his eyes. He was like Lindhall and Myles, then, and any hint of a puzzle or a debate would draw them out of any funk. "Ask away, then."

She could ask about her father, but it almost seemed selfish with so much else going on in the world. She hadn't been misleading when she said there were hundreds of things that she wanted to learn from this man, but dozens of them came back to one point. "Do you understand why I have this wild magic? I've never met anybody else with the same kind. Stefan at home can talk to horses a bit, but it's like... it's like they understand a little bit about what he says, but they don't say much at all back to him."

Arram nodded slowly. "Yes, I do, but it's... it is something that you should hear from a friend."

"You are a friend, Arram," she corrected with a smile. Carthaki folk really needn't be so formal, even if it was adorable when a simple declaration could make them look so shocked.

He nodded again, but after staring at her like he expected her to take it back. "Very well. There are some tribes that have strains of wild magic within them, such as the K'Mir and the Banjiku. There are the occasional people born with an unexpected strong bit of wild magic, or there are times when it will appear without contribution from either parent. I've seen all of those varieties before, and all of them together might have the wild magic within your left hand—every tribe, every practitioner, every talisman that they can link into the wild magic." He hadn't stood, but from the way he kept moving his feet it looked as if he wanted to pace.

He had a story-teller's voice, she thought absently, good enough that George would be jealous. George Cooper was the only other man that could raise the small hairs on the back of her neck with only words and stories that had to be about somebody else. The king hadn't gotten that reaction from her in a full year.

"Have you ever learned who your father was, Daine?"

She shook her head mutely. Every single little hair on the back of her neck was up, and gooseflesh ran down her arms at the power under Arram's words. She didn't see any of his magic, but she knew without asking that his emotions were strong enough to make it bubble over into everything.

"Your mother would have met him on a feast-day of some kind—probably Beltane, that's when he's strongest."

Daine's eyes widened. She _knew _that fewer people than she had fingers knew that story, and none of them were the type to talk. "But—the only folk stronger on Beltane would be a..."

He waited, as if to let her finish, but the word had caught in her throat. He said it plainly, as if he were telling her just why the sky appeared blue to the eyes of so many animals, even when the single syllable shook everything that she had known. "God," he finished quietly. "I knew you were godborn from the instant that I saw you speak with a bird. You have more wild magic than any mortal on record, Daine."

Daine felt faint, and might have fallen right off of her lovely bench if his hands hadn't caught her shoulders. He wasn't dressed as plain as he usually was, for coming to the aviary, but he didn't have any rings on the fingers that had strong grips on her shoulders. He was wearing all black again, but he had some kind of brocaded vest-like thing that seemed to have chips of opal for the buttons.

It felt like only seconds passed, in a way, but she had watched the time passing as she tried to reconcile this new piece of information. "My da's a god?"

"Yes. Yes, he is, and he's both the protector and hunter of animals."

"Goddess," Daine whispered. "Little wonder I've always been good with a longbow, then, and that I could pick up a sling and hit most anything just days on." She rested one of her hands on Arram's wrist. He was still holding her shoulders, and she didn't want to lose the support just yet.

"I... had a dream," Arram said quietly. "I hate portents and fortunetelling, and the palace soothsayers gave up on me years ago, but I dreamed of a badger two nights ago. He said that you had a silver claw of his."

Daine obligingly tugged it from under her shirt, blushing that her charm to prevent pregnancy dangled just above it, but Arram didn't seem to notice the rune that sparked with Alanna's power.

"You're Weiryn's daughter."

Arram looked just as surprised as she was, which seemed odd, but she was studying the claw all over again. It would make sense, that a hunter-god would have a badger minding her, even if... well, maybe gods could only come around Beltane, and only then if he was looking for a pretty woman to bed. Her ma had watched her for thirteen years, and that was better than some would get. When she dropped the claw back behind her shirt, he dropped his arms to his sides.

"The badger came to me last night, as he's been minding me for the last three years. He meant to come earlier than three years back, but the Mortal Realms move much faster." Daine felt too calm, she thought, but it would help if she could fuss over all the new parts of her life later. "He said that I was to ask you a question, and that he couldn't tell me who my da was. It was supposed to be a lesson. I didn't think it'd end in me being a... Odd's bobs, I don't even know the word for it."

Daine thought that he might have some response, but Arram looked rather dangerously gray-tinged as stared into nothing. "Arram?" She shook his shoulder when he didn't respond, and the birds took up warning cries at her nervousness. "Arram!"

He looked at her, as if he hadn't been staring off to the distance for far too long, and somehow he looked calmer than before. He looked like he'd made some kind of decision. "You had me fair worried," she chided gently. "Are you alright?"

"Fine. Just... thinking, I suppose, about whether one good deed can undo previous damage. The likeliest term is 'demigod,' but 'demigoddess' may be more specific.'"

"I suspect you're not giving yourself enough credit, milord mage." She stood and gripped his forearm in both hands. She tugged him to his feet, managing only because he had cooperated. He probably was as tall as Sarge, even if he wasn't nearly so muscly. "You've done good things, too, and the animals like you. Just spend some time with them if people are really starting to get down on you, and start taking credit for all the things folk don't notice."

Something clicked, then, and his expression shifted. Daine smiled to herself when he stepped away, immediately starting to pace. She knew that look. It was when Roald mastered the new knife trick that George had been showing him, or when Myles found the tiny flaw in a report that could pull an entire conspiracy out of hiding by the hair. It was the way Alanna looked when she worked out some new twist on a spell, or Thayet when had a particularly neat bit of diplomacy to use, or when Sarge watched one of his trainees finally understand how to work _with _their horse during a trot.

Arram had an Idea, and nothing was going to distract him. Not even a demigoddess, she thought, and just the words made her feel queasy and unsteady.

"Thank you, Arram," she said, because her ma and Alanna always valued manners.

"You're quite welcome, Miss Sarrasri," he answered, without breaking stride.

Daine chuckled to herself as she left the aviary, but her good mood evaporated rather quickly. Her da was a _god. _Her da had sent some badger with silver claws to watch her while he hunted animals or protected them or whatever else it was that he did besides coming to see his daughter.

Her da was a god. Alanna had her ember to see magics, and George had the strongest Sight anybody'd heard tell of before.

She thought of the gardens, and the wide open spaces in the museum, and even of storming to Lindhall's room or Alanna's suite demanding answers. Instead, she quietly let herself into her room, and found Ragi waiting for her on the windowsill. She gathered the plover into her arms and let him tell her about flying. He was too big to perch comfortably on her shoulder, maybe, but he was just right when she needed somebody to hold onto.


	16. Guess

_Unless I made a few mistakes somewhere, there are very few accidental details in this story. I like to twist the canon whenever I can, so if you think you see a familiar plotline, you're probably right. _

_Reviewers make my day. I wrote this chapter to get away from four straight days of exams, and my finals week doesn't start until Tuesday. _

_Next chapter: Quarrel _

**The Emperor's Mage  
Chapter Sixteen: Guess **

Lindhall probably imagined that his scowl was rather impressive, but Alanna had been dealing with Jon for entirely too long to feel intimidated by the effort. It was probably rude to dismiss her friend so easily, when he'd spent years in Carthak placating Ozorne, but she wasn't going to fight him. She walked away from the confrontation Lindhall was trying to force, to better look over the empty laboratory space.

Given no better option, Lindhall repeated his initial claim. "I know he had something to do with this."

"Daine said she's not upset with Arram. She's mad at the pair of us, if I'm reading the situation correctly—and don't tell me that Draper can charm her away from both of us with a few magic lessons and polite gestures. It's an insult to the girl's common sense."

Lindhall's argument abruptly lost steam, and they both knew it. The stubborn man immediately started on a new direction as if it had always been his intent. "Well, something happened. Daine nearly threw a book at me when I went to check on her this morning. It takes quite a bit to get her in a temper."

"The both of you have been living with me, Lindhall," Alanna said dryly. It had been a very satisfactory agreement, for the most part. George did most of his spy business out of sight, and for a scholar Lindhall Reed had very little curiosity. That wasn't fair, perhaps, as he had an enormous interest in birds, but with people he rarely went past the basics. He left her husband to "business affairs," and never questioned the many, many people that would come in to see George on a regular basis. Daine had worked out George's place in the spy network within a week and a half.

"You didn't have any more luck with her?"

"No, but I knew what to ask. She's too angry to talk to either of us, at the moment, but she told me that she should be ready after dinner." Alanna had her suspicions, but she would let Lindhall vent for a little longer. If he tried to lecture Daine later, Alanna would stick his lips together.

Lindhall relented. "It takes quite a bit to make her angry, but it's frustrating. I know that she and Arram have been getting on, and it might not be such a bad thing. He and Ozorne have been friends for entirely too long, but that only means that Arram has had years acting as the emperor's conscience."

"Do you think Daine is in danger?"

"I'm not sure." Lindhall frowned, finally relaxing back to his normal posture. "She's probably safer if she _is _close to Arram, if she can earn some portion of his protective streak, but then she draws Ozorne's attention. He has very little interest in me. It's much more useful to Ozorne that I stay in Tortall so he can gripe about a fugitive and have leverage in negotiations. Daine has a very unusual sort of power, but Ozorne has always had an eye for power."

Alanna paled when she took the idea to its conclusion. Daine was a force to be reckoned with, as untrained as she still was, and Ozorne had wanted her to heal his birds. He had asked for the girl specifically. "Just how much can Ozorne sense? I don't know much at all about his magic."

Lindhall didn't look nearly as nervous, but he didn't know just why his student was so powerful. "He had never been as powerful or as talented as Arram, but he has a ruthless streak that puts them on a much more even keel. His Gift is a very dark emerald green, for those who have the ability to see it, and he spent a great deal of his adolescence fiercely jealous of Arram's power."

"He'd be quite jealous of our Daine's, then."

"The ability to speak with animals?"

Alanna shook her head, hand automatically moving to her ember-stone. "I'll tell you when we're back in Tortall, Lindhall. The walls have ears far too frequently." If Ozorne could see magic, he just might realize that Daine was godborn. Alanna had been a little suspicious from the start, but it had been over the first time George looked at her. He controlled the reaction, exactly as she would suspect, and told her that night after making her put up every spell she knew against eavesdropping. They both knew all too well that gods had their own ways, and it wasn't for mortals to interfere without an invitation.

If Arram Draper knew... "I might know what's bothering her," Alanna said. She didn't approve of lying, generally, but she wouldn't let a little ethical problem get in the way of protecting a friend. "Girl problems, something I really should have talked with her about before."

Lindhall flushed and immediately backed off, the dear man. "You'll talk to her, then?"

"Before dinner, if she'll let me," Alanna promised.

They finished the conversation with much milder pleasantries, but Alanna barely paid attention. The ember-stone was warm beneath her hand. That was more than enough of a reason to go speak with Daine immediately. It was finally time to tell Daine the truth.


	17. Quarrel

_I know precious little about horse anatomy, and all of my knowledge on bowed tendons came from a few reliable-looking websites maintained by horse associations. All mistakes in those areas are mine._

_The ending still feels a little clumsy, but it's been four days and I wanted to post the chapter. My last final is tomorrow, and then I might be able to knock out a good chunk of this over my winter break.  
_

_Next chapter: Brood _

**The Emperor's Mage  
Chapter Seventeen: Quarrel**

Alanna waited several minutes before opening the door. She didn't want to intrude on Daine's privacy, but the silence was a very new development. Previously, Daine had been all to happy to yell out that she didn't want company. At home, she'd be quite clear about _why _she didn't want company. In the enemy's castle, Daine had settled for repeating herself very loudly. The girl was far too clever to yell that she was godborn, but Daine had a few choice things to say about keeping secrets about family.

They were in Carthak, Daine was a demigoddess, and Ozorne collected powerful mages like some people collected particularly interesting rocks. Alanna opened the door when Daine wouldn't answer her, but the small suite was vacant. She did find a curt note stating that Daine would be at the royal stables, where there were several large testy animals that had already taken to her, so she would be perfectly safe. Daine's bow and quiver were also missing, another sign of good sense.

She made her way out toward the stables quite casually. George would have been proud of her. Alanna started at the training courts, as if she were going to try some newcomer in a friendly bout with swords, and was only too happy to move toward the silent crowd in the barn. Hostlers were hard to spook, as a general rule, but she could see a dozen standing in absolute stillness, with a few military types throughout the group for good measure.

A very pretty chestnut mare was standing quietly with her back right leg cradled against Daine's leg. Lindhall's wayward student was sitting on the ground, looking very intently at the joint just inches from her nose, and Alanna could almost feel the currents of magic that moved all around them.

Alanna kept track of the sun. Daine was in no danger, and her work with the horse was producing no visible effects. Half of an hour later, the crowd shifted, and Daine blinked several times. The mare waited politely for Daine to stand before carefully resting weight on all four legs. Daine broke into a grin, the horse whickered softly, and an entire stable filled with quiet murmurs as the men watched the mare rear up.

Daine turned, not seeming at all bothered with the attention. "It weren't a bad sprain." Her voice sounded perfectly even, but her words gave her away. When nervous, Daine spoke like one fresh out of the mountains. "The tendon got bowed out, is all, but I've fixed that so it's not like to go back."

The mare nudged one of the nearest hostlers. Daine chuckled. "She'd like to go for a run. She promises to behave herself if you let her stay out until sundown, and she'll let you groom her out in the pasture."

Alanna cleared her throat when the amazed men would have stood there for the rest of the day. Every one of them was promising agreement, but none of them were moving to take action. "Wonderful, Daine. If I might have a word?"

Daine scooped up her longbow and quiver from the corner of the stall before leaving. She looked at peace in a way that Alanna hadn't seen before, if a little worn around the edges. "That's fair tiring, and it weren't even a bad hurt to start with. I can't imagine how you go healing folk all the day long."

"It takes a lot of practice. I was out for two days after my first real go at it." Alanna drew a small cake wrapped in a broad leaf from her beltpurse. "Here. It's nearly all honey with some granola in it to keep it together. They're a godsend when you have big sorcery to do." Someday before she died, she was going to control her tongue. Alanna looked over her shoulder, hand at her throat to keep in contact with the ember-stone as she looked about. She cast three of her strongest spells against detection before speaking. "I am sorry that I never told you, Daine. George and I both. It just never seemed like it was our news to give you."

"Badger never told me, either, and he knew for sure," Daine said. "I reckon that you wouldn't do it for games, and I know that the king's never heard."

"We've never told a soul." Alanna nudged the girl in the shoulder. "You start on that cake, now, or you'll be dead asleep before it's time for dinner, and Lindhall will fuss all over again. He didn't know a thing about you being godborn. I only saw it in time when I really took a fast look, and George prefers keeping his mouth shut until he's sure of something. Both of us are god-touched, and there are all sorts of rules most people never think about."

Daine took a long few moments to chew. "Do you know who my da is?"

"George managed to come up with a guess that seems plausible."

Daine looked much older than sixteen, just as she did so often, but the moment passed with no more protest from the girl than a soft sigh. "Arram said that it's Weiryn. I think he's right."

"It never seemed our place to tell you, youngling. Gods don't like it when mortals don't do things according to plan, and they're usually quite good about telling you when godly things are your business."

Daine wiped her fingers clean on a handkerchief as she thought. "I imagine we should talk about it more when we're back home. I'm not angry anymore. It's just been a big shock, is all."

"Lindhall wasn't involved in keeping this from you."

"I'm not upset at all anymore. Hanan—that's the mare—talked it through with me, and I'd just as well be angry with the badger for not saying a thing. He said himself that there are rules, and I guess it doesn't matter that my da never came to visit. He asked somebody to look out for me, so he might know I have busybodies looking after me."

If Daine was willing to make jokes, then Alanna and George were forgiven. It was far too much for a child to comprehend, anyway, and maybe it was better to hear from someone that was near a stranger. "Interesting busybodies at that. I talked to your mage last night, before he went into the garden, and I must say he's not what I expected."

"Lots of powerful mages are tall, Alanna."

"'Tall' is putting it mildly. Jon's uncle wasn't nearly that big, and until recently he was the only match in power for my brother. You've made yourself a very powerful friend." Alanna canceled her spells reluctantly before they walked through the web of protective magic embedded in the stones in the palace. "It's no small feat to manage a healing on your first try, Daine. I'm sure your mother would be extremely proud of you."

Daine blushed, but she looked pleased. "Thanks. It was hard, but I'd already told Hanan that I could help her. Ma said that you to keep promises to animals." She paused as they would have passed one of the universities. "The birds are gossiping about Lindhall again. I'll go talk to him so he's not unhappy when it comes time for dinner."

Alanna watched as Daine knocked on one of the open doorways, and moved on when it was obvious that teacher and student had reconciled. Daine had never been one to hold a grudge, but Alanna was more careful. Someone should tell Lord Martin that the emperor just might become interested in keeping Daine in Carthak permanently, and Alanna had two free hours to warn him and start with contingency plans.


	18. Brood

_I finally own a copy of _The Emperor Mage, _and I stand by my characterization of Varice Kingsford. Daine disliked her for Varice's comments about the caged immortals, but I think that was only the last straw. Daine was starting to feel rather possessive of Numair, and she did not approve of confident blonde women with substantial curves moving in on her teacher. (Daine might have also remembered Onua's first-book comment that Numair prefers blondes.)_

_In an environment where Varice has a valid claim to Arram Draper, and the two of them have been involved for some time, Varice has no reason to be catty to Daine, and Daine has no reason to dislike Varice._

_The next few chapters were written while on vacation. I only found an internet connection on our last night. I hope everybody had a great holiday.  
_

_Next chapter: Effort_

**The Emperor's Mage  
Chapter Eighteen: Brood**

Daine let herself into her teacher's chambers when a full minute passed without any response. Alanna had said that Lindhall was in his rooms, and a few birds had agreed that the pale bird-man had put out more seed, but there wasn't a bit of light inside the shadowy room beyond the last rays of light from the sunset. Lindhall was near the window, at least, but he was staring moodily at the half-emptied dish of birdseed. He didn't even seem to realize that she'd come in, and didn't react at all until the door clicked shut behind her.

"Daine, you shouldn't..."

Daine glared at him, so strongly that the often-repeated warning faded away. She knew that she should have somebody female near her at all times if she wanted to keep folk from flapping their mouths about who she bedded, but she didn't much care. "So I'll have no reputation in Carthak and Tortall both. I need to talk to you, and I don't need any kind of chaperone." She took a chair across from his, relaxing when he didn't try to stop her. "Besides, nobody saw me come in, and if they have listening-spells up and about then they won't hear anything bad. I'm not mad at you."

Lindhall ran a hand through his thinning hair. Daine should have realized sooner that he had no way of seeing godhood like Alanna and George did. Lindhall would have been just as surprised as she had been. "I should have realized sooner, Daine. All of the signs were there."

"Piffle. I've had the clues for three years, now, and I didn't think to put them together. I'm not upset with you. I was a bit put out that Alanna hadn't told me, but we're okay now." Daine called out with her magic, careful to not do anything too overwhelming, and smiled when a mixed flock of birds appeared. Ragi, of course, was the first to claim her lap.

Lindhall smiled to see the plover settling on her so familiarly. "Just how long have you spent about my student, hm?" He reached out gently, only moving his hand close when Ragi studied him curiously. "I think you might be sad to lose her." Ragi preened under the attention, letting Lindhall stroke the soft feathers of his neck, but said nothing.

Daine blushed. Most animals didn't understand when other two-leggers were speaking, but Ragi had been staying close to her for days. "A bit too much time, I think, but there's no use in asking him to stay away. I'm near to healing the emperor's birds, now, and Alanna warned me to not ask anything much if the emperor grants me a boon. I just might ask if Ragi can come back to Tortall with me."

Ragi ruffled his feathers, unsure if he liked the idea, but changed his mind even before Daine could apologize for presuming. It might be fun. Ask the gold-man, but I will decide later.

"That would be very well done, Daine. It's a very small boon, so far as the emperor is concerned, and a safe thing to request in exchange for what he has asked. There are dozens of plovers near any stretch of the river near the palace, and there will easily be enough stores on the ship to keep one bird well fed." Lindhall looked over the small wealth of birds that had come at Daine's call. He smiled, nodding toward a small tanager that seemed especially shy. "These fellows are quite rare beyond his majesty's menagerie. She would like the seed in the blue bowl, if you will."

Daine had a quick word with the bright little bird. "She'll come to you. I promised you wouldn't eat her, and it wasn't hard to convince her that you're safe. You have a nice reputation with the birds here."

Daine scooped a generous portion of seed into Lindhall's cupped hands, and the pretty little tanager quite happily perched on his extended finger. Daine sent out another quiet call, this one more focused, and just two minutes later Lindhall's hands and arms were covered in tanagers. Ragi held court in Daine's lap, unimpressed with the brighter specimens decorating her shoulders and hair.

Lindhall's magic was not as powerful as anybody's, maybe, but the fog-colored Gift was more than up to the task of getting them ready for presentable company. She had been wearing a cotton over-robe on top of her finery, but Lindhall cleaned the last traces of birds from the sapphire blue gown underneath. He looked quite handsome himself, still dressed in the solid, unchanging fashion of the northern fiefs.

Daine shrugged into the grand silver-cloth shift that went over all of the rest. She'd left it near the door. She and Lindhall rarely fought, but their quiet reconciliations had almost always involved birds, and birds were all too often the ruin of delicately woven cloth. Lindhall and Daine didn't usually need to say sorry or to say thank you when they had the occasional disagreement. He appreciated all of her animal friends, maybe, but he would always love birds best.

Lindhall offered his arm, as courtly as any of the overdressed Carthaki nobles, and Daine took it gravely. If the peace talks kept going well, they'd be done with the bird-dung peace conferences some time before she turned seventeen.

Daine nearly turned around on the spot when the idea struck, but missing one of the state dinners was far too close to an insult. Perhaps she could beg off early. Varice would understand, and Daine was moderately sure that the other woman would cover for her. Emperor or not, Ozorne would never contest 'woman problems' as an excuse to vanish into her room.

"Lindhall, please remind me after dinner if I don't go straight to my books," Daine said quickly, just before they reached the formal banquet hall. "I need to look up something about bird dung."

Lindhall laughed quietly. "My dear, you have spent far too much time with me. I'll be sure to send a note if I get pulled into peace talks again."

Varice was just as accommodating. Daine had spent the entirety of the first two courses running through everything that she knew about the digestive systems of birds, and all that went into the product that came out of it. Daine came back to the conversation in time for the entree, just after absently answering 'bird dung' when Varice asked just what had been on her mind for so long.

Daine blushed, and the few nobles listening looked disapproving, but Varice chuckled. She sounded just as friendly as Lindhall had. "Dear me, it's no wonder that Arram's quite taken with you. You show up chock full of magic he's been studying for a good portion of his life, you gave him a chance to help you out, _and _you let your mind wander down paths that most silly people have never even considered."

Daine's face had lost nearly all of the pink when Varice finished, and even the snoopier nobles had lost interest. "Thanks," she said quietly.

Varice smiled. "It's a hazard of spending too much time with academics, Daine, that's all. Would you like to be left to your contemplations for a while longer?"

"I think I've puzzled through all that I can work out without consulting the right part of the library. I might ask Arram to help, if he's not busy tonight?"

Varice glanced toward the high table, contemplating. "Arram had a few things arranged, but I know he can easily be excused to help you out. I could tell from the moment you took a seat that you were close to having the entire affair with the aviary settled out. The birds have stopped dying since you came, but no one has been closer to stopping them from sickening."

"I hate to trouble you, but..." Daine continued when Varice nodded encouragingly. "Could you ask if Arram can meet me in the aviary after dinner is over? I can't get through all of those nobles without ruffling some very shiny feathers."

"I can do one better. If you even think that you're making progress toward a cure-" this time it was Daine that nodded- "then I can guarantee that he'll be there fifteen minutes after dessert is cleared away."

Daine wouldn't forget. The answer was just beyond her thoughts, and belaboring it now wouldn't help anything. She spent the rest of the dinner chatting with Varice. If the peace talks were over, Daine would be gone from Carthak, and relations weren't likely to be well enough for any kind of visits. Daine might never see the friendly blonde woman again.

She glanced toward the highest table, where Arram was talking with Alanna and Sir Gary. She would miss Arram even more than Varice, not just because he knew quite a bit about her magic. She'd have to be careful about what she wrote, but it wouldn't be unusual if she sent letters on about harmless things about her magic and daily life. George would look over the first few for her, to be sure that she wasn't wrong about what information was sensitive.

Ragi might be able to come home with her, but Ozorne wouldn't decide to let her bring his strongest mage along to Tortall. She'd have to settle for letters.


	19. Effort

_Much of the plot has changed from the book, but that's because the main plot points from the book haven't had room to happen. Details will come out in the next few chapters, but three of the main characters she interacts with while in Carthak (Kaddar, Rikash, and the Graveyard Hag) aren't around. This is also called the chapter where I start to get angry reviews, but I've been leading toward this scene from the very beginning.  
_

_Next chapter: Now _

**The Emperor's Mage  
Chapter Nineteen: Effort**

Daine barely paid attention to the frighteningly expensive dessert Varice set in front of her at the end of the dinner. She politely ate all of it, but she was waiting for the dismissal. Daine was on her feet the very instant that the emperor released them all, and in her rooms just two minutes later. She hurriedly changed out her fancy clothing for something more practical. She didn't want to destroy the pretty silver robe, no matter how much of a hurry she was in, and she would be much more comfortable in her own breeches and boots.

For the first time since coming to Carthak, she set aside the fancier clothing that Thayet and Alanna had planned out. Even the breeches and boots she had been wearing to the aviary were a touch fancier than what she'd wear with the Riders, comfortable clothing more like any Tortallan commoner would wear. For all that Jon kept threatening her with a title, she'd avoided it so far. She was a commoner, for all that she'd occasionally neglect to use the king's title, and she'd dress like it when she had a big project to finish. Arram would be dressed just the same, if he had the time to change, and it wasn't like she was going to let all of the fancy nobles gawk at her when she had a mind to go heal the birds.

She brought her book with her as she headed for the aviary. Alanna had spelled it to resist all sorts of damage, and bird droppings would roll right off of the pages without leaving the slightest mark. The pages would even turn without being touched if Daine said the right words, a very tricky bit of magic that might help a lot if her hands were full with an animal to be healed. She might not need the libraries, but if she did Arram would be able to help her find the right things much faster.

She was flipping through the pages herself when she heard the door open. She looked up long enough to see Arram hurrying in, all of his jewels and finery conspicuously absent, and then went back to her pages about the effects of common toxins in birds.

Arram had been waiting for two minutes at the end of the bench she'd appropriated for a desk. He didn't look bothered that she'd been ignoring him, and he was ready when she pushed her book toward her. It was a tiny note in the middle of a long, dry stretch of words, and she'd not paid enough attention to it the first time that she read the chapter.

"Lead," Daine said, pointing at the right passage. "It changes the droppings. I was hardly paying attention to them before, with the way that the sicker birds had the thick droppings, and I didn't know how to heal something when I didn't know what was wrong." She opened her mind to her magic, letting the copper fire course all around her as she reached out to find the birds that were still weak. She bathed every last one of them in her magic, strengthening even the birds that were well. With her magic still whirling out from her, the healing finished, she asked all of them what they had been eating that wasn't the seed.

"Check the water, please?" she asked Arram, most of her mind still sorting through the many, many responses from the birds. He started scanning the entire aviary after examining the water, and the two of them found the source at the same time. The birds told her about the 'green food' just as the decorative green enamel lit under Arram's spell. When she looked closely at the trim, she could see where the birds had chipped at the enamel for food that made them thirsty—salt, mixed in with whatever else had gone into the pretty green trim.

Arram was tracing the lines of the enamel with his hands when she finished reinforcing her command to the birds that they weren't to touch the green food again. "Have them back away, please," he said. The birds listened to him, still linked through her magic, and she could feel the remnants of a copper bridge stretching to Arram when he spoke to them. She didn't need to say a word to reinforce the direction he'd given. All of the birds had landed in the trees and on the bushes.

Arram said a word that made the air hum with power. Between one heartbeat and the next, all of the green enamel running through the entire aviary had turned to bronze. Daine looked from the new strip of metal to the mage. Arram barely looked tired, after transmuting quite a bit of a rock-like substance right into a metal, and he'd done it without protective circles or chanting or even any of his opals.

"Goddess," Daine breathed. Her ma had needed circles and chanting just to get a fire going, some days, and had mostly used herbs and tonics when she was working as a midwife. Daine thought that Arram looked a little wary, but she couldn't imagine why anybody with that much power could be nervous about her. "I keep hearing that you're a great mage, and I'm sure that you're very impressive, but I know how hard that is. I think you'd've been the equal for Alanna's brother."

Daine thought that Arram had relaxed when she kept on sounding calm, but she might have been influenced by the mood of the birds as they adjusted to the change in their aviary. "Master Thom of Trebond was the youngest mage to ever reach my rank," Arram said. "Educated rumor has it that Lady Alanna and King Jonathan are the strongest remaining mages in Tortall. The late Duke Roger forgot the strength of his opponents."

"Did you know him? Duke Roger?"

"Barely." Arram had stepped close to the walls to examine his work. "He had the reputation for stalling the careers of any mage who would end up too powerful, so Lindhall kept me near the birds and the more academic ends of magic while Roger was staying here. He and Ozorne were close, as I recall, and I would not be surprised if Ozorne had encouraged Roger's attempts to take the Tortallan throne." He whistled when he stepped away, and the parrot-finches were the first to examine the bronze edging.

Daine might have asked more, because Arram might have finally been able to prove that it was Roger that had sent the fever that nearly killed Jon all those years before, but she was surprised to find herself swaying on her feet. Arram wasn't, though, because he caught her when she might have fallen right over.

Before Daine had time to protest that she might be able to walk, Arram had her picked up in his arms, and she was a little embarrassed at how nice it felt to be cradled against his chest. He had more muscle than she'd usually expect on a mage, and his big hands were gentle. "Sorry, Arram. I didn't mean to call you over just to fall on you."

"By all means, fall on me all you like. You could fall on anyone in Carthak if you saved the emperor's birds first." His voice sounded even nicer when she could hear it rumbling in his chest. "You've exhausted yourself. You have a nearly unlimited amount of power with wild magic, as you can hypothetically draw it from the animals around you when your own supply is exhausted, but you'll need to remember that all of it is channeled through you."

Daine couldn't have stopped her yawn if she tried. "I'll remember," she promised. Her eyelids felt too heavy to lift fully, but she could still see him through her lashes. "Thank you for fixing the enamel. Most of the grand mages back home think anything practical's beneath their dignity or somewhat."

Arram chuckled. "The truth of it may be that the grand mages don't know practical spells. Most of my useful magic was picked up years after I earned my rank. There's rarely a call for transmutation."

That sounded about right, but not all of the really powerful mages were like that. Harailt and Lindhall had been the only academic mages that she really knew, and the few times she'd really worked with Harailt he'd been fun. He told jokes a lot, and he'd kept her company on the way over whenever Lindhall was trying to soothe Alanna's seasickness. Arram seemed to have a lot of ways of seeming quite impressive to folk, but the People had been sure that he was pretty good, for a two-legger.

Daine frowned. Even with her eyes just half-open, she knew that the mural with the flame-haired woman wasn't on the way to her room. That one was on the way to the deeper parts of the palace. Moving seemed like it would take more effort than she had in her, but something in her expression must have been clear enough. Arram had slowed down, and close as he was she could barely see him through the heaviness of her eyelids.

"Don't worry, magelet. Nobody can see us." She might have protested that he hadn't understood at all, if he thought that was her worry, and that she would rather go sleep in her own rooms. She wasn't interested in seeing his cat's-eye rock, or the explanations about how a little bit of shiny stone could make them invisible to anybody. Kitten would have seen right through it, if the dragon wasn't staying back in Tortall with George.

Just like a mage, she thought uncharitably. Even Harailt and Alanna and Jon could get so distracted with the little details of what they were doing that they didn't talk about anything important. All of that was too much effort to explain, but the rush of irritation gave her the energy for one word. "Arram?"

He stopped completely, and she realized for the first time that he was holding her with just one arm. She knew because she could feel the arm all along her back, up to where it bent to hold her knees, and his other arm was free. His hand looked a little unsteady, and didn't feel much more stable, but it might have been her own tiredness getting in the way. Whether he was shaking or not, his fingers were very gentle when he brushed a stray curl behind her ear.

When Arram spoke, his voice was so quiet that she could barely hear him. "You'll be okay, Daine. I promise."

She might have protested that he was being cryptic, or repeated her issues with mages, but he had caught her with his eyes again. She didn't think it was intentional. There was a little wrinkle between his eyes, and he looked so unhappy that she would have told him that it would be alright. He looked like Jon did when he heard that one of his young knights had died, or when George heard that a spy's cover had been broken from somebody else's carelessness. Arram looked like he'd lost _her, _for all that she was right there and he was holding on, but she couldn't comfort him if he was going to go catching her with his Gift again.

Daine thought that he might say something else, but he looked away abruptly, breaking eye contact. Her eyes closed the instant that he released her from his magic. She was too tired to think about all of this anymore. The last thing she felt as she drifted off to sleep was the thin chain sliding along her neck, and the soft scrape of the badger claw as it slid out from the neckline of her shirt.


	20. Now

_Assumptions will get you very few places, but I do like to see all the guesses about what will happen. Some of them might even be right._

_Next chapter: Solve_

**The Emperor's Mage  
Chapter Twenty: Now **

Lindhall Reed paced the small antechamber that had been reserved for the Tortallan delegation. Something was wrong, something was very wrong, and there was nothing that he could do. Daine had raced away from dinner, fire in her eyes, and she hadn't been seen since. Arram had followed soon afterward, and no one knew just what was going on.

Alanna was radiating magic. There wouldn't be any use in trying to calm her until Daine had been produced, but Lindhall was starting to think that might not happen. He never should have let Daine have time to blink without Alanna watching her.

Every last member of the peace talks had received a summons one hour after dinner was over. The emperor was waiting for them in the main chamber, but rumor had it that Ozorne was waiting for Arram to return before speaking his piece. The Carthaki nobles milling about in the hallways put on proud faces, but when they thought no one was watching they gathered in small groups and whispered animatedly. Lord Martin was furious, for all that he was remaining in his seat beside Duke Gareth, and Sir Gary was chatting with Alanna while leaving a good five paces between them.

When a speaking spell sparkled discreetly at Lindhall's ear, it was understandable that he reacted poorly. Harailt was sitting near Duke Gareth, and the mage's hands were clenched tightly enough that his knuckles were white. Alanna was settling only through Gary's concerted efforts. The spell was unexpected, and Arram's voice came through it in a whisper.

"Lindhall."

Lindhall turned away, which should have been enough of an answer, and stalked to a window. The spell followed him, making barely any light. If he wasn't mistaken, no one else would be able to see the small sparks unless they had a talent for finding any use of Gift.

"Lindhall, please. It's about Daine."

Lindhall Reed had never been a particularly powerful mage. He had done well enough in his chosen area. Daine had assured that he did have an excellent understanding of what it was that animals needed, but there had always been someone with more raw power at their disposal. Lindhall had been charged with Arram Draper's education for eleven years, and had been on the periphery of a young Ozorne's lessons. He had watched his innocent, charming student follow all too closely in the wake of Ozorne's ambition, and when Arram was twenty-one Lindhall had been forced to flee Carthak's university back toward the north, leaving only his assistant with the instructions on how to continue smuggling slaves safely out of the country.

He had managed to hold out hope for years, while surrounded with Jonathan's commanding presence and Alanna's hot-tempered brilliance and Harailt's casual displays of immense competence. Perhaps Arram hadn't known that Lindhall would have been executed on Ozorne's orders. Helping a slave to escape was a capital offense if done just once. Lindhall had helped hundreds on to safety. Ozorne might have kept the charges quiet so that Arram wouldn't object. There had been a chance, however slim, that his student was still innocent.

The last straw had been the death of Prince Kaddar. Lindhall had watched that friendship from afar, and had been pleased beyond measure that Arram had befriending someone with Kaddar's meticulous approach to understanding the world around him. The pair had been friends, until Arram killed the young prince at Ozorne's command.

Through all of it, Lindhall had been the rather harmless man that understood birds and reptiles far better than people. Daine was an entirely accidental student. He had found her in the menagerie, excitedly talking with Thayet about the changes to the animal enclosures Lindhall had recommended. He and the young girl from Galla had become friends faster than Lindhall thought possible, talking about birds and reptiles and the two-leggers that didn't understand them.

When the two of them had finally left the menagerie, they learned that Thayet hadn't been idle. She had already told Onua and Alanna that Lindhall would be an excellent teacher for working Daine through her studies into wild magic. Lindhall remembered the work that Arram had been doing all those years before, and all of his life had made sense again. All of the heartbreak with Arram had paved the way toward helping Daine grow from a skittish child to a confident, friendly young woman that could charm the world if she chose.

Arram would not harm Lindhall's second student.

Lindhall was unaware that his magic had spread about him in an uncharacteristically strong nimbus of power. His Gift was usually a dulled color, more like clouds than the lit brilliance of Alanna or Jon's fires, but it had served him well enough. As Lindhall turned slowly to face the speaking spell, his Gift blazed around him like moonlight.

Only a blink of time had passed between hearing Arram speak Daine's name and turning to face the subtle magic of Arram's spell. Lindhall's power pulled at all edges of the speaking spell, stretching it to a small plane of magic that showed Arram's face.

"Master Draper, you forget yourself," Lindhall said very quietly. "Mistress Sarrasri deserves a title in her own right, for all that she has politely refused all attempts at ennobling her. She also deserves far better than you."

Arram looked away from the newly-formed window that passed through all space between them. "Very well. Master Reed, I cannot recite the entirety of the Scholar's Oath, but if you would accept—"

Lindhall had no patience for charm and sincerity. Ozorne could fake them better than anyone Lindhall had ever known, and the emperor had taught his mage all manner of useful tricks. "No, Draper. I want nothing from you, save your assurance that my student will continue to be safe from you."

Arram's lips thinned. "You would do better to ask for safety from his majesty."

Lindhall snorted in disgust. Perhaps it had been a blessing to lose his student, the boy who had been like a son to him. Without that push, he never would have gone to Tortall. He never would have served monarchs that treated him as an equal, and he never would have met Daine. "I won't ask for anything that you cannot supply. You killed Kaddar in cold blood, Draper, and that boy was—"

"Do you think that I don't know?" Arram's control was gone, as well as the measured quality of his earlier words. The adapted mirror of the spell showed that the man's eyes were wild, and there was an unusual tenseness to his brow. "I'm risking treason just speaking to you. Do you think that it's so easy to escape Carthak's dungeons, Lindhall? Do you think that cell doors open with a push and guards all sleep at their posts while a Gift-powered boat rests in the side harbor?"

Lindhall hesitated, remembering all the strange details of his lucky escape to Tortall, but Arram was still speaking.

"I don't have time for this. Speak with Musenda Ogunsanwo when you get back to Tortall. He'll know that it's time." Arram's hand raised, as if to cancel the link between them, but Lindhall forced the spell to remain. He was dimly aware that both Alanna and Duke Gareth were feeding him power. There was no other way that Lindhall Reed would have been able to fight Arram's Gift.

Lindhall's voice was even. "You mentioned Daine."

Arram's voice was not even; he was past control. Draper bit off every word, only occasionally glancing back into the mirror, and didn't remain still for more than a moment at a time. "There's no time, Lindhall. Say your prayers if you want to help the girl. That's the only thing that might help her."

Lindhall Reed would never be a strong mage. The combined Gifts were too much, even with Alanna supporting him against the effects, and he still had to face whatever Ozorne was pulling. He stepped back, gasping, and let Arram end the spell with a strong push of magic. It was only after the spell had ended that Lindhall realized that he had seen familiar sites as Arram had moved swiftly through the halls of the palace. Arram was heading for the audience chamber, but he hadn't been anywhere near the aviary when he sent the speaking spell.

Alanna's arms were supporting him moments before he felt the weakness creep in. Gary quickly took over for her, holding Lindhall erect while Alanna felt for his pulse.

"I'll give you a jolt that should last the rest of the night," she murmured. "I wasn't feeding too much power into you, just enough to surprise Draper. His Grace was kind enough to take the brunt of the drain."

"You'll be alright?" Lindhall asked, feeling the effects of his small tantrum. Duke Gareth looked as unruffled as he always did, and Alanna only looked concerned. Sir Gary, still keeping Lindhall from falling to the floor, might have held mages on their feet every day of the week. Lindhall would have been embarrassed if he had the energy, but every spare bit of feeling was devoted to worry for Daine. "I don't want to drain our strongest mage."

"I'll be fine." Alanna reached up to Lindhall's temples, the tips of her fingers edged with violet light, and moments later his head cleared. Lindhall clapped Gary on the back and managed a partial smile for Alanna as thanks, and drew himself up with all the pride he could muster.

Lord Martin cleared his throat. He had been standing in the doorway that led to the larger room, waiting for them to finish. "They've just passed along word that we're all to assemble in the main hall. I have informed the messenger that Mistress Sarrasri was last seen moving toward the aviary, and that Master Draper would have seen her last."

Alanna's small hand was very strong when she took Lindhall by the wrist. Her other hand was gripping the ember token that she was never without. "He said to pray, Lindhall, and that I can do. The Goddess has a special sort of attention for strong young women like our Daine, and she's Weiryn's daughter." Alanna's voice was fierce, though her words were nothing more than a whisper, and she looked too angry to be bothered with such things as the listening spells scattered all through the palace. "She's a god's child. If Ozorne hurts her, this entire country may just meet a bad end. The children of gods and mortals aren't born often, and they aren't born easily. We'll all be standing about with nothing better to do than listen to Ozorne's speeches. Pray."

Lindhall looked toward the grand audience hall, seeing the glimmer of Ozorne's gilding even at that distance. Daine wasn't gone yet. For all that they knew, she was somewhere out in the gardens safe from all of this commotion. If she were already gone, or already taken, then Ozorne would be much more relaxed on the elaborate throne.

Daine had a chance, still, and that might be the best that the world could give her. There was nothing that he could do to help, nothing except to call on his background as a boy that had grown hearing the huntsmen speak of Weiryn. Alanna may yet have the Goddess's ear. Lindhall would do his part.


	21. Solve

_Reviewers make my day, and they've also kept the fast pace of writing for this story.  
_

_Next chapter: Rest_

**The Emperor's Mage  
Chapter Twenty-one: Solve**

Just before filing into the grand audience room with the rest of the Tortallan delegation, Alanna thought to reach out for her magic. There was a little of herself in Daine, still, keeping up the spell that separated Daine's sense of self from the wild magic all around it. If Daine were killed, or all magic stripped from her, then Alanna would know instantly. Instead, when Alanna reached out carefully with the smallest threads of magic that she could manage, she felt that Daine was deeply asleep, but unharmed.

That knowledge gave Alanna the strength to stride confidently into the audience chamber. Daine was far too smart to have made comments about freeing the slaves or any of Ozorne's excesses, and for all she knew, Daine had finished up some business of hers and fallen asleep on a bench somewhere.

Wherever Daine was, the People would protect her.

Alanna was one of the last Tortallans to enter, but Gary had saved her a seat at the very front. Normally, she preferred to stay as close to the back as she dared, but for tonight's sudden announcement Gary had the right idea. Alanna wanted to be very, very close to the main action.

Gary didn't say a word as the rest of the nobles made their way into the hall, but he rested one of his big hands on her knee. Alanna kept her eyes on the emperor. Ozorne's expression was difficult to read, but the state of his makeup told her quite a bit more than his vaguely smug look. There was barely any gilding on the man's face, the rings decorating his ears were unadorned gold hoops, and three fingers were bare of any rings. For that matter, most of his jewelry was downright tasteful compared to his usual ensemble. The most prominent item was a rather simple gold band topped with a long, rounded black opal that covered the first knuckle of his right index finger.

Whatever had happened, it was important enough for Ozorne to gather the dignitaries together before taking the time to put on some gaudy costume or other. There wasn't even an elaborate backdrop in place. Ozorne stood at the top of a small flight of stairs, but that was the only concession to rank. Alanna had little time to speculate before the doors at the side of the hall opened.

Arram Draper strode in quickly, his open black robe billowing behind him. He stopped when he was ten paces from the throne to bow deeply, then continued forward to stand on the step below Ozorne's throne. Given Draper's height, this left his head eight inches above the emperor's. Ozorne didn't correct the discrepancy, which made her all the more suspicious. Very few things had been more important than the emperor's vanity thus far.

The room fell silent after a gong sounded. Ozorne stood, spreading his hands grandly, but the expression he adopted was somber.

"My guests, I am very sorry to report that the peace talks cannot continue." Though Ozorne's voice remained quiet, it reached every corner of the hall. "Veralidaine Sarrasri has—"

Arram Draper cleared his throat rather loudly. As one, the gathered crowd turned disbelieving looks at the man insane enough to interrupt the emperor.

"Master Draper, you haven't heard the charges against the girl yet," Ozorne hissed. He regained his composure quickly, but the slip had been all too visible. "Have you something to add to proceedings?"

"I heard what had been suspected, your imperial majesty." Arram bowed a second time. "You had reason to suspect that Mistress Sarrasri had abetted slaves in their unlawful departure of the country. I am pleased to inform you that these charges were false. The writ against her contains several times and dates that I will contradict in an oath given by my blood."

Ozorne seemed too stunned to react, and he wasn't the only one. At Alanna's side, Gary was blinking rapidly, while Lindhall seemed to have forgotten how to breathe.

Arram Draper continued calmly, as if the entire hall wasn't staring in shock. "Furthermore, I am delighted to announce that Mistress Sarrasri has cured every last bird in the aviary. She realized that the recent changes in décor contributed to lead poisoning. She removed all traces of ill health from the flock while I transmuted the offending decoration to something more suitable."

Ozorne stepped forward ominously. Arram, seeming oblivious to the danger, politely descended to the next step. "Master Draper. You cannot possibly account for every charge against the girl, and each charge is to be tried separately. I believe that the girl has currently absconded, and cannot answer for herself?"

"She was exhausted by her efforts to cure your birds, your majesty." Arram Draper looked remarkably unconcerned by the emperor's fury. As a matter of fact, he looked...

Alanna started, reaching blindly for Gary's hand. She knew that look. She'd seen it in Jon when the daft man had been heartset on defeating the Ysandir, she had watched it in George all too many times when he was about to set out on something foolhardy, and even Daine had been prey to that particular expression. That was the way Daine had looked while dismantling a treasonous plot at Fief Dunlath, entirely unconcerned with the danger to her person. She had been doing the Right Thing, she'd been doing something that felt more natural than breathing, and there was no use for second thoughts.

Arram Draper had spent ten years as Ozorne's creature, from what all the stories said, and no sensible person would remain under Ozorne's heel that long. Alanna cursed herself being a dozen varieties of imbecile when the magic surrounding the opal on the emperor's hand was bright enough to be seen without her ember-token. When she touched her hand to the ember, already knowing what she would find, ropes of emerald green fire looped around Arram Draper in increasingly tight bands, tying him to Ozorne over and over again.

Arram was dressed very simply under the robe. There were still smears of bird dung on his boots, and not a jewel in sight. This was Daine's friend Arram, not the over-dressed Master Draper that had presided over the court dinners, and she had been fool enough to not realize that he was bound by the strongest focus she had ever seen.

"Where is the girl, Arram?" Ozorne's voice remained smooth, but the fury in his eyes left no doubt. The emperor had exhausted his supply of patience, and Arram Draper would pay for his impertinence.

"Beyond your influence, Ozorne, and it's no use trying to pin the charges onto her. Not one will stick after you have the actual culprit in custody." Arram looked over his shoulder only once, finding Lindhall in the crowd. The sight seemed to steady Arram in the seconds after he had turned to face Ozorne. "I've spent ten years helping slaves to escape this place. I am responsible for every last incident that your investigators wrongly attributed to Veralidaine Sarrasri."

For a moment, nothing happened. Arram and Ozorne were staring at each other—Arram defiant, Ozorne disbelieving. The entire hall sat in silence, trying to understand what had just happened, until the emperor snarled. Forgoing magic, Ozorne backhanded his friend hard enough that Arram fell down the last few steps. When Arram rose slowly to his knees, the marks of the emperor's rings were clear on his cheek. The man's magic hadn't even made a token attempt to defend him from the blow.

Alanna could barely see Arram's black-with-white-sparkles aura through the thick green net of Ozorne's creation. Arram Draper's magic had been weak from the moment he walked into the audience chamber, and the opal was steadily glowing a sickly green shade when Ozorne stepped away. The guards that had been standing at the doors rushed forward, followed quickly by red-robed mages, and it seemed that they moved too slowly for any of this to be real.

Gift-blocking manacles quickly secured Arram's hands in front of him, followed by so many chains that they obscured the mage. The black robe was cut away roughly, in jagged pieces, as Ozorne trembled with anger. "Take him to the dungeons," Ozorne said, loud enough to carry over the clanking of the chains and the whispered conversations throughout the audience halls. "Mistress Sarrasri is innocent of the charges pressed against her. The peace talks will resume tomorrow morning. Arram Draper's execution will occur at sunset, as our Gift has shown that his confession is true."

Ozorne disappeared in a flurry of courtiers and panicked assistants. The guards and mages quickly dragged an unresisting Arram Draper from the room. A Carthaki minister hurriedly dismissed the rest of the guests, and most nobles promptly quit the room to gossip in more secure quarters. Lord Martin led out most of the Tortallan delegation, but not everyone left.

Lindhall Reed was still staring at the empty area in front of the throne. Alanna was sitting beside him, trying to get some reaction from her friend, while Gary stood behind them, making use of his height to intimidate away most remaining nobles. Only one person approached, and she looked just as shocked as Lindhall.

Varice Kingsford was wearing a cream silk mage's robe over a sensibly cut grey dress dusted in flour. The colored staining at the dress's wrists seemed to be permanent, and the hem showed signs of hasty mending. Her hair was in a plain knot at the back of her head, her face was bare of all cosmetics, and very little about her resembled the glamorous hostess that seemed to own a different dress for each day of the year.

"Lindhall?" She sounded very young, and perhaps that was what drew Lindhall out of himself. Lindhall stood shakily, like a man thrice his age, and held out his arms. Varice stepped into them without hesitation, and if she was crying into Lindhall's shoulder Alanna tried not to notice.

"I'll stay with him," Gary said quietly when two minutes produced no change. Lindhall was staring toward the throne while rubbing Varice's back, and the Carthaki mage continued to sob. "You go find our girl."

Alanna was too numb to feel anything strongly, but she was faintly grateful for the suggestion. Alanna pulled a necklace from beneath her dress. The chain was invisible even as she felt for the right charm. George's was a small knife with an actual edge, Thom's was a book, Alan's a sword, and her little Aly's seemed to change every week—the last Alanna had heard, a scroll was the most appropriate. Aly was considering following Uncles Myles and Lindhall into academia. Daine's had been a delicate silver working of a bridle from the very start, and that was the charm that Alanna took in hand. The silver had several of Daine's long brown hairs worked into its construction, as well as a drop of the girl's blood.

Alanna let her heart thaw the tiniest bit when she felt the study tug toward Daine's location. She would have felt different pulls from the silver focus if Daine was in danger, or hurt, but even when she reached toward her spell at Daine's core Alanna could only feel tiredness.

Eventually, Alanna found herself in the small group of shrines in the heart of the castle, and wondered about the mage all over again. Arram had told Lindhall to pray, when nothing else would work, and that was the soundest advice that they would have believed from a supposed enemy. Arram had left Daine curled on one of the padded benches left in the palace's shrine to the Goddess, with a familiar badger tucked against her side.


	22. Rest

_If that many reviews are the response, I might have Ozorne be a threatening jerk more often. I do have plans in mind, and I think a couple of you are starting to figure out what happens next.  
_

_Next chapter: Soon _

**The Emperor's Mage  
Chapter Twenty-two: Rest**

Alanna's knees were weak with relief, and she saw no reason to fight that emotion. She let her legs fold under her, leaving her looking past her wayward girlchild to the Goddess's altar. Alanna breathed a quiet prayer to her patron before rising shakily, feeling a decade older in an instant. Intelligent brown eyes studied her as Alanna carefully made her way to the next bench over.

"Hello, badger," she said quietly. She doubted that loud voices would rouse Daine, at this point, but she'd rather leave that awakening for later. Alanna would have bad news to impart whenever it did happen, but Daine needed her rest. It might also be better that Daine would have less time to think about what would happen to Arram. "Thank you for protecting her."

The badger huffed, reminding her of Buri caught doing a kindness. —_I promised her father that I'd look after her. I saw her twice in her first thirteen years, and won't make that mistake again. She needs tending_.—

"She was right about Arram Draper, at least. Was he the one that called you?"

—_Normally, summoning is strongly discouraged, but..._— The badger nosed at Daine's shoulder, as if to reassure himself that she was still well. —_Ozorne would have kept her here, and wild magic was never meant to be caged. Her parents cannot fully protect her for ninety-seven years yet, unless she happened to need their aid on a solstice or equinox.—_

"Has Sarra become a goddess, then?"

The badger ruffled his fur. Alanna had the feeling that it was an approving gesture. —_Very good. The Goddess hasn't picked a slouch yet, but there's always the chance._— He vanished in a puff of silver smoke, reappearing on her bench. His front paws rested on her thigh to let them make eye contact more easily. —_I trust that you can take her from here. There is nothing that I can do for Arram Draper, but he was correct to call me. I could protect her until she was collected by a suitable guardian._—

Alanna didn't relish telling Daine what had happened, but she wouldn't leave the responsibility to anyone else. Lindhall was still grieving too deeply, and no one else in their delegation was close enough to Daine to bear such bad news.

Daine looked peaceful, curled up with her arm as a pillow. The silver badger's claw was dangling outside of her shirt, the charm against pregnancy winking next to it. Daine would wake to hear that the man she'd (correctly) believed in from the start was condemned to death, and that he'd done it to protect her.

—_A certain cat that harasses folk in the Divine Realms at will asked me to say hello, and to mention that he is very proud of you for all you've done. He's especially enamored with your kittens._—

Alanna had known for years upon end that Faithful hadn't been a normal cat, but it still made her breath catch to hear such casual validation. It did make her feel the tiniest bit better to know that Faithful lived on, especially after losing Moonlight the year before. Darkmoon was a fine stallion, but Alanna was convinced that no horse would replace her first mare.

The badger had vanished while Alanna blinked away another spate of tears for Faithful, leaving only a few long hairs on her leg. Badger had been leaning part of his weight on her, at the end, and perhaps that was why she felt ready to take on Carthak to defend his kit. Following the focus to Daine had drained quite a bit of her energy, far more than the boost she had given Lindhall, but now she had all the energy she needed.

It was hard to scoop Daine up into her arms, but Alanna's Gift was a help. Between her magic and muscles that she stubbornly kept in shape, Alanna brought Daine to Duke Gareth's room. Daine was deeply asleep, and didn't look at all disturbed to be rested on the duke's settee while Alanna joined the rest of the Tortallan delegation in a late-night strategy meeting.

Daine slept just as deeply when finally settled in Alanna's bed. Gary had carried her, that time; it probably was for the best. Alanna's muscles might not have been up to the task of lifting Daine onto the high bed, let alone settling her nicely under the covers.

Alanna slept restlessly on the couch that night, not at all eager for the morning to come. Daine was safe, and very likely to remain so, but the girl was in for a great deal of heartbreak.


	23. Soon

_School starts up again tomorrow, but I have a few chapters that are almost ready to go. I don't know if updating every day will be feasible, but I don't think that this story will go too long without an update. That's the benefit of keeping the chapters short._

_Next chapter: Listen_

**The Emperor's Mage  
Chapter 23: Soon**

Daine was surprised to wake hours after sunrise. She would have already missed breakfast and might be late to lunch, by the look of the sun, and a look around revealed that she wasn't in her rooms. She looked around Alanna's chambers, trying to remember why she would have fallen asleep in her friend's bed, when Alanna herself walked out from the bathing room with a towel around her head.

"I thought you'd be asleep until noon," Alanna said, a little too quietly. "Are you feeling alright?"

Daine didn't feel any after-effects of a healing, but her mind felt a little muddled. She didn't remember until she heard some little bird or other trilling the beauty of his mate. She'd healed the aviary's birds, after figuring out what was wrong just before dinner, and then... "Did Arram bring me over here?" Daine stretched experimentally, but nothing seemed to be wrong. There was no reason for Alanna to look so solemn.

"Ah—indirectly." Alanna had already tossed the towel aside, leaving her wet hair to drip on a rather dressy gown. Somehow, Daine didn't have an eye for detail even with no bad news spoken. "You should..."

Daine slowly sat up, keeping the headboard right at her back. "Nothing happened at home?"

"No. Nothing in Tortall." Alanna visibly hesitated as she walked to the edge of the bed. When she spoke, the words all came out at a deliberately slow pace. "It's Arram, Daine. Last night, Ozorne charged you with freeing slaves, and he believed that Arram had hidden you away where we wouldn't fight you. Arram confessed that he has been sneaking slaves out of this place for ten years now."

"But—he-Lindhall said—" Daine's hands clenched tight in the covers. "Arram was carrying me, last night, and it weren't over this way."

"He brought you to the Goddess's temple, and had badger look after you until I could get there. I used the focus I have to find you, but I could have followed the hint Arram told us." Alanna reached out, as if to offer comfort, but her hand fell short.

It was for the best, really, because Daine didn't want anybody touching her. She wanted Cloud, and Kitten, and she wanted to wake up in her bed back in Tortall and have Alanna's kids pestering her for stories and lessons. She tried to control her emotions, but there were too many to pull in with meditation. She felt too much for any human means to control it. Animals through all the palace stopped where they were. She could feel them. Horses stopped in mid-gallop, birds dove for the ground, and even the rats paused when her magic shot out to touch everything in what felt like three times her usual range, with a strength she'd never known. They might have started feeling her grief, and going half-mad the way she was to feel so many contradicting things, if Alanna hadn't caught her hands, violet light blazing brightly enough to make the entire room glow purple.

Daine coughed at the sudden shock of it, her grief forgotten. It felt like Alanna had sunk both of them into frigidly cold water while blasting shields separating Daine's inner self from the wild magic all around it, but it worked. Daine had her emotions under control with no more of a display. It wouldn't do any good to show just how much power she had, not when she'd been weaker than a kitten just days ago. Now, her power was more like a full-grown tiger, and not the kind of thing that she wanted Ozorne knowing about.

"I'm so sorry, Daine," Alanna whispered. They both knew she wasn't talking about the spell.

"Can I... he's not dead already, or you would've said."

Alanna shook her head. "He'll be executed at sunset, sweetling, and I can't do a thing for him. It would destroy the peace talks, and we're... Arram is guilty of the crimes that Ozorne's charged. All of the other countries would be forced to negate treaties with us."

Daine swallowed. She had slipped into numbness when Alanna's water spell had passed, and so far it felt safer. "It's because you're the King's Champion, and all that you do goes right back onto Jon. It'd be like somebody came into Tortall and started enslaving people, and one of Carthak's folk said that it was okay." Her eyes watered regardless, because put that way she couldn't do a thing. Arram had known just what he was risking, helping folk get out of Carthak. He would have known that no one could save him from the consequences.

That didn't make it right.


	24. Listen

_My professor got through sixty pages of material. That's sixty pages as put together in Microsoft Word with a twelve-point font with a line between paragraphs, with about one figure per page, and he did this in two fifty-minute sessions. This is going to be an interesting semester. _

_Next chapter: Haze_

**The Emperor's Mage  
Chapter Twenty-four: Listen **

Both Daine and Alanna looked fair red-eyed a couple minutes later, but neither felt the need to talk about that. Daine drew herself up with all the resolve she could muster. She couldn't get involved, but everybody had known that from the start. Even if Arram had given up everything to save her... there was nothing she could do for him in return, not now. Not unless she wanted to give Ozorne an excuse to start a war.

"Sarge took me aside afore we left," Daine said. "He said it'd be fair better if I didn't get any kind of involved."

Alanna cursed, quite loudly, and had a speaking-spell to Gary in the next minute. After she had rather irritably ordered Gareth to come to her room, she turned to a rather surprised Daine. "I'm sorry, Daine, but... it was something Arram said last night. All of us were distracted with figuring out where you were, and if you were alright, but Arram mentioned Sarge by name. His full name."

Daine's brow wrinkled. "I don't think I've heard Sarge's whole name more'n once. It only came up when the queen was teasing him about turnin' him into one of them fancy nobles he dislikes so."

"Arram said to speak with Musenda Ogunsanwo when we were back in Carthak, and to tell him that it was time—whatever that means. I left a mirror with Onua, in case we needed to get anything to Thayet while she was away from the palace, but she can find Sarge for us easily enough."

Alanna was pacing the room, clearly irritated, but Daine felt too lost to get up from the bed. Arram was going to be killed, because he'd done the right thing, and none of them were even going to try to stop it. Daine couldn't, not unless she wanted Carthak to start attacking Tortall again, but she just couldn't stand back and decide it was okay for somebody to die because it'd save people from the country that'd taken her in. She didn't pay any attention when somebody knocked at the door.

Sir Gary had let himself in while Daine was looking out the window, and he shut the door behind him very firmly. Alanna snapped the words that linked her mirror to Onua's. Onua didn't make a bit of protest when Alanna immediately asked for Sarge, leaving no time for pleasantries such as hello. Daine kept to her spot on the bed, and couldn't find the mind to care when Sir Gary came over and rested one of his big hands on her shoulder.

Alanna stopped pacing just before Sarge's face appeared in the mirror. She moved to stand so that Sarge would be able to see the three of them.

"Lioness, what's the trouble?" Sarge asked. Daine felt a little better just hearing his voice. Sarge was obviously prepared for trouble, but his voice sounded just as relaxed and easy as always. "I know you didn't send word on just because you missed me."

Alanna smiled thinly, the best that she could manage. She and Sarge had always gotten along well, probably because he and her husband had the same approach to trouble. Nothing was so serious that a bit of joking wouldn't be amiss. "I don't know what it's going to mean to you, but Arram Draper is condemned to die tonight. He publicly admitted that he's spent ten years helping slaves escape, and he did it with Ozorne three feet away."

Sarge exhaled slowly. "That's true enough. Draper took that up right after Lindhall had gone, and he's been holding that country in one piece for a while now. Strain can make anybody snap."

"Arram was protecting Daine, I think." Alanna glanced over, as if Daine might have something to add, but continued when Daine only looked back toward the window. "He opened a speaking spell to Lindhall last night, and Arram said to speak with you when we got back to Tortall. More specifically, he said that Musenda Ogunsanwo would know that it's time." Alanna hated riddles, but it seemed that she'd need to wait a while longer.

Sarge raised a brow, his only response. "Well then. I can't tell you much of it until your feet are back on the good earth here, but I'll start things moving. If you have the chance, Alanna, tell him that I said thanks. He's a good man. I couldn't go telling folk before you all got squired about, or your reactions would've been too plain."

"Can we?" Daine asked quietly. "Talk to him, I mean. Just for a minute. I wouldn't say a word they'd use against anybody, but I... he should have a little time with people that care."

Sir Gary had never been her very close friend. She knew him well enough, since he and Alanna teased a lot, but for the first time Daine thought that she might really like the always-busy prime minister. "I'll see what can be done," he promised quietly. He stood at a better angle to be seen in the mirror. "Is there anything that we should know before we leave?"

Sarge hesitated, looking past Gary to Daine, but turned his attention back to the business at hand. "If Ozorne has any brains in that gilded skull of his, he'll be very cooperative. He can't replace Draper soon at all, so the country's firepower is down. Push for any concessions that you really want, you just might get them. That's all I have for the political end of things for now." Gary nodded. Sarge waited as the prime minister walked away, and didn't speak again until he heard the characteristic noise of a door opening and clicking shut.

"Daine-girl, you alright?"

Daine shook her head mutely.

"Didn't think so. Arram has a whole lot of faces, but you'd be just the type to find his best." Sarge's voice was very soft, and Daine took the mirror into her hands to see him better. "Draper never has just one reason for what he does. He told me once that he helped all others get on out because he couldn't. Ozorne has some very heavy magics binding your boy there, and nobody but the emperor himself can release them without having Arram dead anyway."

Daine had expected as much, really, but she didn't want to think about all of it. She didn't want to think of it later, either, but maybe later she'd be able to cope without using Alanna's magic as a crutch. "When we come back... could you ask Cloud to come to the docks for me? She's... she got me through losing ma and grandda and all the People on the farm."

"I'll sweet-talk her into it if I have to buy her dinner first," Sarge promised. "Gary's going to look out for you, lambkin. You take a rest and have Alanna spell you if that's what it takes to get through tonight."

Daine smiled weakly. "She already did, so I didn't drive all the animals to acting crazy." She thought that mentioning the execution would have made her sick, but she was relieved that he didn't make a huge deal out of it. When she got home, Sarge would be one of the people that understood how she could be all tore up about someone she'd barely known.

She thought that Sarge and Alanna had more to say, when Alanna gently took the mirror out of Daine's limp hands, but she'd drifted straight back into sleeping. She'd have to deal with it all over again when she woke up, but her dreams were peaceful and quiet. She could pretend that the world was alright for just a little longer. It'd be clear enough by sunset that nothing was okay.


	25. Haze

_Not much happens in this chapter, so consider it breathing space before all of the rest starts happening. Of course, there might be a hint or two, for people who prefer to not be surprised later. _

_Next chapter: Excite_

**The Emperor's Mage  
Chapter Twenty-five: Haze**

Arram Draper was his student after all.

That was nearly the only thought that crossed Lindhall Reed's mind since watching his one-time student being taken away in chains. He must have opened his arms at some point, to end up with Varice Kingsford crying on his shoulder for what might have been hours. He didn't know when she had left, or how he had gotten back to his rooms, but Gary looked ready to tuck him in like a child. Perhaps it would have been fitting. Lindhall only barely understand that Daine was safe, that she'd been at the Goddess's temple.

Some unsung thought put the clues together, but Lindhall only felt the conclusions. Arram had tried to tell them—to tell him. If Lindhall had given the boy just one chance, it might have been better. They still might not have been able to avoid this, given Arram's tendency for theatrics, but they would have... it could have been better. Lindhall could have had kind words for the end, or perhaps just known to nod when Arram looked back over his shoulder before confessing to the crime of being a good man.

If he had asked, all those years ago... Arram had helped Lindhall Reed to escape from Carthak, and death might have been the only escape for poor Kaddar. When Lindhall had finally gathered the courage to ask, two days ago, it had been Varice that assured him that Arram had grieved deeply to hear that Kaddar was charged with high treason. Arram had taken charge of that execution intentionally, so that there would be a minimum of pain. Even after that, he'd kept helping slaves escape north, south, and wherever else they could find safer havens.

Only Ozorne would try to outlaw morality.

He listened dully to the news that Arram's casual mention of Sarge's full name was just as helpful as the comment about praying. Daine had talked to Sarge, at from hundreds of miles away Sarge had been able to do something for her. Lindhall didn't know how he would continue to breathe, let alone how he could comfort the girl that had seen the goodness in Arram. Gary had quietly apologized that Lindhall wouldn't be given a chance to make farewells, but it was almost a relief. Lindhall had nothing to say. Apologies weren't enough, he would not waste Arram's last minutes in begging forgiveness, and this would be better. Only Varice and Daine had been afforded the chance to speak with Arram. Varice was his lover, and somehow Arram had kept her safe from the slightest whisper of suspicion.

Daine had healed the emperor's birds, and even denied the easy opportunity to add Daine to his collection of mages, Ozorne would be content. His birds were well, and he enjoyed his revenge as fresh as possible. He would plot to take Daine in later, and have Arram killed that day.

The peace talks were done. Ozorne wouldn't be going to war with Tortall. Gary had muttered dark things about Ozorne going to war with his own country before attacking a neighbor, but Lindhall only had patience for the words that came next. The delegation was gathering to attend the execution, in a wordless show of support for Arram Draper. Lindhall didn't have to come, of course, and no one would think less of him—

Lindhall Reed was on his feet with a sudden excess of speed that stunned Sir Gary's mouth into clicking shut, quite a rare feet. He was probably wearing the same clothes he had put on the day before, but finding new ones was too much of an effort. He would go. Arram might look to him for strength, one more time, and that might be all that Lindhall could do for his first student.


	26. Excite

_This chapter gave me much more trouble than necessary, but the next few should be faster. I have those in nearly-complete drafts, and the rest of the plot is pretty stable. _

_Next chapter: Verbal_

**The Emperor's Mage  
Chapter Twenty-six: Excite**

By a unanimous and unspoken decision, Daine was excused from the last of the peace talks. Every other diplomat was going to be there, from all of the different countries, but she'd not done a thing with the talks before. She wouldn't start now.

They were leaving that night, heading to their ship as soon as the execution was over and done with. She only felt a dull ache at the thought, not at all what she would feel later. Alanna's magic had created a thick, impenetrable barrier to keep Daine's emotions from turning every last animal in Carthak's capital against Ozorne.

Daine was pounding a stone pestle into a sturdy stone mortar, not particularly caring that the dried herbs and seedpods inside the small bowl had been thoroughly crushed. She was going to get a minute to talk to Arram, but it would be almost exactly before the execution. Somehow, Alanna and Gary had created a traditional backwater Gallan tradition on the spot given to one facing a trial, and the emperor had given Daine permission to reenact that little ceremony. There wasn't a proper trial, of course, as Ozorne had already made the decree and Arram had already admitted to everything, but it was close enough.

Really, Daine was crushing together things that made her remember being thirteen years old and only really talking to her ma and grandda. She was no hedgewitch, and never would be, but she'd been helping with her ma's tonic since she could hold a pestle.

Her ma had barely any magic if she was being compared to Arram or Jon, or even Alanna, but Sarra had been the best midwife for miles around. It was an old, old family thing, the mix of the right plants and seeds that could lessen pain from the delivery without taking away from alertness. Every midwife had her own concoction, and this one was Daine's secret to share by birthright. Midwives never had much in the way of money to pass on to children or apprentices, so they shared techniques and help and tonics.

Several more minutes passed, marked only by the dull thud of stone hitting against stone, and in the end her carefully-measured leaves and seeds and dehydrated bits of root were a pinkish-brown powder. That was the hardest part, and she'd done the easier portions earlier. Lindhall could get his hands onto the essence of alcohol that some of the scientists used, which should work a sight better than the coarse gin that Sarra had worked with.

The crystal decanter was nothing at all like ma's good wooden pitcher, but it did the job well enough. There was a thin line of alcohol all along the bottom, just a finger's width, because the idea wasn't to drown the system in alcohol. Daine tipped the stone bowl's contents into the decanter carefully, letting herself feel a bit of pride that the motions hadn't been lost. When she'd been eight, half the time her careful efforts at pounding things to dust had been for nothing. By the time she'd been eleven, she always could pour the full contents of her mortar right into her pitcher.

She swirled the decanter, watching as the alcohol absorbed the powder right in, leaving her with a rather pretty bit of pink-tinged alcohol. She added water until the smell was right, with just the barest trace of alcohol to distract from the pungency of the herbs, and a little tint of pink left when she poured the contents of the fancy pitcher into the plain leather waterskin she'd carried all the way from Galla. She didn't have many things left, anymore, but this one had been her grandda's. Daine was still proud to know it lasted way longer than the style that the Riders favored.

Daine jumped when she turned, startled, but long memory had prompted her hands to firmly cap the waterskin. The tonic sloshed under her fingers, but not a drop leaked out. She wasn't used to animals coming up behind her with no kind of warning, especially not odd ones.

"You're not Ragi," she said, rather puzzled. He was very close, but the markings weren't quite right, and this plover was a bit blockier. The color looked a bit odd, too, but perhaps it was the lighting. Normally, she'd be all dressed and at dinner chatting with Varice, but after the talks were done they'd all be going to Arram's execution.

The bird had perched itself at a chair near the window, where it had an excellent view of her distraction for the afternoon. It didn't chirp or anything, but it did tilt its head as if asking something.

Daine tapped her temple. "I'm blocked off, bird. If I weren't, summat would've bitten his imperi... somebody," she amended impatiently. It still was a very bad idea to admit she _wanted _something to bite His Imperial Majesty. Still, that was no reason to be rude to a guest. Daine spread a double-handful of seed on the windowsill, in case Ragi stopped by later. The bird chirped (sounding quite odd for a chirp, but she didn't have the patience for odd birds in her bedroom), something that probably served as a thank-you, just as the knock came on Daine's door.

She knew it was Alanna. The wall keeping Daine's magic in check felt stronger than ever, and the knock came a bit too low on the door to be anybody else. Daine stood. She wasn't bringing anything but her waterskin and mage kit. She was too numb for anything as practical as a handkerchief, and all of her things had already been sent to the ship. Daine packed mortar and pestle back into their places, secured her mage kit's straps to let it dangle at her hip, and slipped the waterskin's strap over her shoulder.

The methodical preparations had taken a full minute. The bird had watched her, but for once Daine was in no mood to chatter with one of the People. No matter what Cloud said, Daine needed to talk to two-leggers about some things. Sometimes, though... when Daine finally opened the door, she didn't have to say a word. Alanna hugged her, hard, and then they walked to the execution together.


	27. Verbal

_Reviewers, you make my day every time. I think quite a few of you know what I'm doing here, but I'll let the characters settle that in their own time. Thank you for reading!_

_Next chapter: Fragment _

**The Emperor's Mage  
Chapter Twenty-seven: Verbal**

Gary had offered to make the calls, but there wasn't much else for Alanna to do. Daine wanted to wait for her chance to speak with Arram alone, just as Alanna had always preferred at that age, and it would drive Alanna to _do _something if she was sitting there thinking all on her own. She would leave Gary the extra time to make final drafts of all the provisions, she'd give Jon the news.

She hadn't expected him to have his spelled mirror immediately at hand, but perhaps she should have. Sarge had been talking to her until just half an hour ago, and he would have sent a runner to the palace to give the king some warning.

"Alanna?"

"Hello, Jon. Did Sarge send on word?"

"He came on up himself to tell me quite a few things about Draper, but said that he wouldn't spoil the biggest surprise without a proper audience. It seems that it would be unfitting. I never knew Sarge was one for theatrics." Jon was feigning disapproval, probably to amuse himself, but he wasn't above a bit of showmanship. Alanna told him so, and the over-scripted presentation of the 'awesome' Dominion Jewel still made both of them laugh.

"Well. I seem to be doing this quite in the wrong order." Alanna finally felt a little more like herself, and maybe that was a much better way to give the news. "The papers are signed. We are at peace with Carthak, and did quite nicely on fishing rights and a basic set of rights for the trade route."

"And Daine?"

Alanna tweaked the magical protections surrounding her. Arram might have been able to peer through him, but the Emperor had handicapped himself of his best mage. "She's had quite a few shocks. I had to use my Gift to keep her magic from making waves, and I just might need a couple weeks to get her nudged back into shape. Daine was closer to Arram than nearly anyone, to hear Lindhall tell it, and it's a horrible reason to lose somebody."

Jon looked old all over again, but Alanna was in no shape to mend that for her friend. "Bring her home, then," he said. "We'll have peace for a time, then there will be some pretense for starting the whole process over again."

Alanna remembered one speck of good news, perhaps the only goodness to come from the trip besides the (however temporary) promise of peace. "Leave room to meet with Daine when we get back, Jon. You asked her, once, about her father."

Jon showed a spark of interest at that, but however much he teased she wouldn't give so much as a hint. That brief good mood passed, however. He had to get back to a meeting, and she had to go collect Daine. Her minute with Arram would happen soon, and no matter that Daine had preferred to wait alone, Alanna would be there when it was over.


	28. Fragment

_All insults to Varice's choices and Gift are given from _her _perspective. I think there's actually quite a bit to be said for the people that spend their lives arranging parties and designing events so that other people will be happy, and one of my best friends is working toward a career in planning weddings. I thought that I should clarify that stance as the narration (biased to Varice's view) is rather harsh._

_Next chapter: Inert _

**The Emperor's Mage  
Chapter Twenty-eight: Fragment **

They had never been the stuff of fairy tales.

Arram was as imaginative as any deserving princess, perhaps, and he had even ended up beneath the thumb of a ruthless sorcerer. That was the type of plight that should have drawn some gallant knight or daring shepherd, not a pretty woman that used her Gift for fripperies and pretty things. Varice Kingsford had never been ashamed of her choices before, but she had never seen a man that she cared about just fifteen minutes before he would die.

She looked terrible, perhaps, but it would have been a mockery to look perfect with him in such poor condition. His hair was usually even better than hers, but there was no teasing him for vanity today. His hair (usually one of his prides) was a rather disheveled wreck that still couldn't disguise the handsome angles of his face, however drawn the expression. Not even impending death could lessen the intensity of his dark eyes, and that alone let her draw herself together enough to get through their farewell.

Varice sidled forward, just as if she wasn't wearing one of her work dresses that still was dribbled with oils and flour from the night before. She'd been making a cake to celebrate Daine's impending success with the emperor's birds when she heard the news. Varice had never doubted that the birds would be healed, not with such a light in Daine's eyes and the familiar dreamy contemplation that led to a sure result. She had been deciding whether it would be a private party or a small gathering, and what on earth would be the appropriate thing to make for the animals forever following Daine about, when the word of Ozorne's sudden mandatory audience had rippled through the castle.

She had known something was wrong. She hadn't known that she would lose Arram for it, let alone to something as silly as Arram's well-known noble streak. He played the bad man, perhaps, and he had killed people at Ozorne's direction, but Arram Draper was as evil as her most comfortable slippers. Arram had pioneered the small surgical procedure that would mute slaves without mutilation. The personal slaves surrounding Ozorne still couldn't speak, but there was not one cut made to their tongues. The two little nicks to the neck might be no more pleasant, but they were far more humane. Arram had been similarly genteel in his executions from the very start. His Gift was powerful enough to reach into a person and gently stop the heart from beating, as neatly as if he'd been a trained healer. Ozorne had tried forcing something a little more tormenting, but Arram had rather blithely listed off several spells his Gift simply was not suited for. (Varice might be the only person that knew Arram's magic was perfectly suited to blowing things-or even people-up. Arram simply refused to use it that way.) Arram liked juggling and sleight-of-hand and 'magic' tricks that were more suited to a busker than a black-robe mage, and on the rare occasions that he met with children, they adored him. He should have been a father, one to teach his children all of the right things as well as all of the silly things worth stopping an entire lesson to describe.

Ozorne knew that Arram disliked slavery. He hadn't cared. When Ozorne had a very potent focus against Arram, and Arram willingly let himself be bound so that Lindhall Reed could escape to Tortall... there was nothing else that her dear friend could have done.

Her hair was worse than his yet again, and her without the disadvantage of prison and chains. Her silk robe had wrinkles pressed into it, her shoes in no way matched the rest of her outfit, and her only jewelry was the gemstone pendant that he had bought for her years ago. It was her favorite piece, and the gem did look all the brighter when it was the only thing to distract from a severely plain dress and a mussed cream robe. Looks shouldn't be important, perhaps, and maybe it would be better for her to not notice at all, but her mind wouldn't stop thinking of details because she would lose her dearest friend and her lover.

He looked far too exhausted to rise. He was slumped against the wall for support, leaning to ease the pressure on his bound arms, so she knelt close enough that he wouldn't even need to shift his body weight. She could do small things for him now. Later, she would light incense and leave an offering in the Dark God's temple in Arram's name, and Goddess help Ozorne if he stood in her way.

"Arram, you noble, darling fool," she said with all of the fondness she could muster. It was quite a substantial amount, really, and maybe it would be some small measure of peace to know that her feelings hadn't changed.

"Varice, has his majesty spoken to you?"

Her composure came dangerously close to cracking, but she found her center with just two deep breaths, and the threat of tears receded. Arram had trained her for far too long in meditation for her control to fail now, even if he was asking after her when any reasonable person could afford to be selfish. "Yes, sweetheart. What you did... his majesty was blindsided, and has stated before witnesses that I have his full confidence. I had to make a few statements in front of truthsayers, that was all."

"Good. I couldn't... well, I don't want you to be hurt, ever, and it would be the worst thing I'd done if I let you be hurt because of this."

He was entirely serious, which only made Varice feel all the more like crying all over again, but she wouldn't give Ozorne the satisfaction. It was a fair bet that he was watching them, and that let her keep herself together. "You're the best man that I've ever known, Arram. I... I don't want to watch, truly, but I'd never forgive myself if I wasn't here for you." She wrapped her small hands around his much larger ones, letting herself pretend that the chains weren't there. "You're my best friend."

"Varice, if I'd run, all those years ago..." Arram's eyes usually could catch her when he showed half that much emotion, but his Gift was said to be severely drained even before the block had been put in place. One of the more sensitive guards had muttered that Arram would fall over if he tried lighting a candle with the Gift-binders removed. Perhaps that was why he couldn't catch her mind one last time, just as he'd done when she was seventeen and still awed at the sight of the palace, only to turn and find herself looking at the most fascinating man she would ever meet.

It would have been much easier if she loved him. He was the most talented lover that she had ever taken to her bed, and he was solicitous on nearly all occasions in or out of bed. There was no accounting for when an idea would strike him, of course, but she found those rather obsessive turns of fancy rather endearing. After the first time it happened, even, she thought it was darling that the insane man could forget entirely about sex in favor of scribbling notes, and that was when they'd been quite involved the moment before. He was intelligent, handsome, charming... and a friend. They had sex, and even had sex to the exclusion of all other partners, but neither had ever seen the need to move in together or write poetry or produce babies or whatever it was that people in love did.

Still, she had been with him for almost a third of her life, and sometimes she felt as if she could reach out to take his mind into her own. "I wouldn't have followed you," she whispered, feeling almost ashamed. She'd come from the north, maybe, but Carthak was her home now. She couldn't abandon it even to Ozorne. "You talked about it, once. Running away north, anywhere that would take us. You said that you'd juggle to support us."

"I didn't think you remembered," Arram said, and something in his expression eased. "What if I had asked you a week ago?"

"I would have thought you quite mad, and would have been sad to stay here without you," she answered, puzzled. "I... I don't know, Arram. I'll feel worse with... when you're... I just want to make people smile, and this is the only way that I know how. I'm not one to start it all over again."

Arram leaned close. When she gratefully supported herself against his strong chest, one last time, he pressed a kiss into her hair. "Sometimes I think you've always had the better profession. Don't feel guilty about working where your talents lie. None of this was your fault, Varice."

"I think I'd have felt worse of you for not helping Daine," she admitted quietly. "You're a brave man, Arram."

His hands slipped apart for a moment, letting her own fall inside quite naturally. His hands felt oddly smooth to her touch, but this was no time to wonder if he had found himself a better moisturizer. She had never been one to criticize his strange turns of mind, not when her own wandered so frequently. "Keep in touch with her," he suggested. "Both of you could use a friend."

"Always looking out for me," Varice said quietly.

A guard cleared his throat. He was looking the other way in an unexpected display of manners, but there was no use in forcing the man to be rude. Truthfully, Varice hadn't expected so much uninterrupted time. She paused only to lean back and press one last kiss to Arram's lips. "Goddess guard you, Arram."

He didn't say anything in reply, but she supposed that there was nothing else to say. She backed away, to keep eye contact for as long as she could, and nearly backed directly into Daine.

There was one thing she could do, at least, before she sat through the execution, lit candles in Arram's name, and somehow forced herself into working again. Daine had extended one arm to keep Varice steady, and Varice had no curiosity to spare for the waterskin cradled in the girl's other arm or the practical leather mage kit strapped at the girl's hip.

"Write to me, sweetheart," Varice said quietly. If the guards overheard, it was of no account. "I'll... we both thought the world of you, and I'll never hold you to count for this." If Varice ever did give into the temptation to let Daine's slim shoulders take the weight of all this sorrow, nobody else would ever need to know. She would rage and cry in the privacy of her own chambers, but she would never let a girl-child take up all the badness in the world.

Daine looked as shaky as Varice felt. She nodded, but didn't look ready to voice a reply. Varice understood that perfectly, as she was out of words herself. They nodded at each other, quite politely, and both felt that it was a perfectly serviceable goodbye.


	29. Inert

_Sorry, folks. My muse got kidnapped by the Insomniac Express and then hit by the Not-Streptococcus-Pyogenes Bus. (Much of my recent attention has been forced into memorizing several thirty-item lists of bacteria, disease processes, which bacteria are generally found where, and what seaweed jell-o to use for specific bacteria. The characters were staying away from all those diseases even when I was starting to feel better.) I think the muse made a full recovery, quite likely thanks to the awesome reviewers that kept leaving reviews just in case I'd forgotten about the story. I'm going through the story again for fast edits, mostly to clean up a few details I'd written before setting the plot of the story. Nothing of the plot has changed, just a few details and references._

**The Emperor's Mage  
Chapter Twenty-nine: Inert**

Ozorne had wasted no time in replacing his chief mage. Later, she might feel indignant or upset or angry, but Alanna's magic still kept Daine feeling drowsily calm. It all felt like a very odd sort of dream as the mage peered at the leather waterskin, muttering spells and biting his lip from nervousness. Daine did feel a dim echo of vindictive pleasure to see the mage so afraid, when he had dared to take Arram's place, but she couldn't sustain it for long. Even without the spell, she would have let that emotion go. For all she knew, that man was just as good as Arram, and just as caught in Carthak.

After several minutes, the mage returned her waterskin and she was allowed to enter the holding cell. They had fully accepted her story of a Gallan ritual for crossroads in a person's life without any further embellishments. Usually, from what Gary had told her while he showed her to the cells built against the side of an amphitheater, those condemned to die would be given a sweet Carthaki wine. They wanted to show that Arram was truly in disgrace. If Daine had known that, she might have tried to make her tincture taste something more than bitter.

When she was in the cell, meeting Arram's eyes for what might be the last time, all of her half-formed speeches disappeared. She dropped to her knees, which put her almost at his level, and even with the spell the grief almost crippled her. All she could manage was "hello."

He half-smiled, so she hadn't done too badly, even if he was pale and sweating. "I made my choice, Daine. Tell the Lioness to be sure you and Lindhall don't spend weeks on end mourning. A day will suit me very well."

Daine managed a full smile at his tone. He was trying to sound like a fussy noble, and she'd oblige him in nearly anything. She opened the waterskin, letting him get a sense of the rather pungent odor. "It's a Gallan specialty. I'm sorry for the taste, but my ma always said that if the remedies tasted too fine people would fair like taking ill."

"Thank you, Daine." He said it with so much dignity that it carried them through the slight awkwardness of a girl helping a man twice her size drink from the waterskin. He made no protest at the bitterness, and she relaxed only when he'd had all of a dose.

"It's what I can do for you," she whispered, under the pretense of getting last drops out of the waterskin. "I can't do enough, at all, but you won't feel pain now. Badger'n my da will speak for you to the Black God, and Badger's been watching you ever since folk knew I'd come here." She had to rock back, then, but the guards hadn't noticed anything amiss. "I just wish I could do more."

"Daine..." He turned toward the guards, his expression oddly flat, but he had more animation when looking at her. "Don't watch the execution," he ordered quietly. "I mean it. I don't want to think of you being hurt by it, too, and it's bad enough that Varice will insist on watching to the very end."

Daine didn't have time to think of a protest, and he didn't have for some last reason that he was struggling over. The guards were rapping on the bars, her signal to leave, and there was no easy argument to make. She nodded, instead. She would give him what comfort she could, and she could let Alanna's magic carry her through the day.


	30. Classic

_For all of the people who like to leave guesses with me: quite a few of you have been right all along, and this chapter moves into proving it._

_Next chapter: Animal_

**The Emperor's Mage  
Chapter Twenty-nine: Classic**

Daine could feel the last of Alanna's spell fading, but she didn't say anything. The rest of the Tortallan delegation was listening to the proclamation from some judge that Ozorne had trotted out, and Alanna was already tense enough from the effort of not helping someone what deserved it. It went against every last part of Alanna's nature, and maybe that strain made it even easier for the Champion's spell to fade away. Some lasting piece might have helped her keep the cold numbness, where she barely felt anything and nothing of it burned like rage, but that was all for the best. She wasn't going to watch the execution and didn't care at all that it felt like the coward's way out.

Their ship was close, at least. She hadn't heard the particulars on just how quickly they all were leaving when the execution was over, but the second mate on their ship had a very cheerful parrot that was completely oblivious to the solemn birds near the amphitheater. Her mood was probably affecting the drab little ones that were disappointed to find nobody with snacks to drop on the ground, but that didn't explain that plover.

It was the same one that had been her room, she was sure, the blocky-bodied thing that didn't at all look like Ragi. The markings looked even less close to natural in the sunlight, and something about him just looked odd. She couldn't even see the copper fire in him, and she'd gotten practice enough to find the copper threads in the oatworms that the aviary birds loved as treats.

Daine frowned, narrowing her eyes as she concentrated. There wasn't a bit of copper at all in the bird, and his thoughts were much, much quieter than most birds would make them. What little parts she did hear sounded almost familiar, like she knew the voice but was hearing a different version of it.

_If you listen hard and long, you can hear any of us, call any of us, that you want, _Badger had told her once.

It wasn't supposed to matter if her eyes were open, and Alanna and Lindhall and even Jon had told her about not needing to close her eyes to do the stronger magics, but sometimes Daine liked to forget what the rest of the world was going to see. Her magic always seemed to do things that left Alanna and Lindhall and Jon at a loss, though, so she didn't know why they were so certain about the way that wild magic would work out.

With her eyes closed, she let little tendrils of copper spread out, all of them so thin and fine that they'd make a spider's thinnest silk look like yarn. Several found the little birds, one found a lizard contentedly dozing in the sunlight, one found a cat squirming indignantly as its person gripped its ruff too hard...and one found that plover, which wasn't a plover at all.

Daine felt the tiniest beginnings of a smile as she listened in on the plover's thoughts. It was fair rude to eavesdrop, of course, but she wasn't doing it to be nosy. She was waiting so that she wouldn't interrupt anything, and from the little display earlier and his hints before the judge and emperor started droning on, he'd expected her to realize what nobody else in Carthak would.

She heard the execution without opening her eyes. It would bother her if she saw her friend dead, by whatever means it was that the emperor had picked out. When she was picturing the world through her magic, with the murmurs of the People running through her, it was easy to ignore Ozorne's smug monologue. She felt the small pressure of claws as a very solid bird landed on her leg. She steadied him with her arms, unsurprised to feel the plover's exhaustion, and opened her eyes only when Alanna tapped her on the shoulder.

No one was at all surprised when Daine scooped a very docile plover up under her arm as she left. She looked to the center of the arena just once, and blanched at the sheer amount of blood. It wasn't a pleasant sight, at all, but it left her expression just right for when the Tortallan delegation had to stop. Ozorne had come to say farewell.


	31. Animal

_The hardest parts to write are over, I think, so I hope that the rest of the story will be done before the semester is over._

**The Emperor's Mage  
Chapter Thirty-one: Animal**

Alanna kept her arm around Daine's shoulders as the delegation approached the emperor. Lord Martin had the honor of making the polite farewell, at least, and Gary had already taken Lindhall to the opposite side of the small crowd. The only remaining issue was that Ozorne would say something to Daine, of course, and that he just might try to take Daine away. Alanna had not been able to do anything for Arram Draper, perhaps, but Daine was a citizen of _her _country and had done nothing wrong. Alanna would be allowed to kill the emperor for any hurt he caused to Daine, and damn the consequences of Tortall's Champion doing the deed.

Alanna did step to the side when Ozorne approached Daine, but only so that Alanna's hand could brush the ember-stone at her throat. She would intervene at the first sign of magic.

Ozorne was still wearing the large opal on his hand, the gaudiest of his many rings, but there were tiny fractures all through the stone and even the stone's natural luminosity seemed dulled. It had nothing left of the emerald-green fire she had noticed just days before.

The emperor spoke to Daine directly, if formally, for once not requiring any real formalities from the girl. "Veralidaine Sarrasri, you have done me great favor by healing my birds, and custom declares that I shall grant you a boon before you leave my nation."

Alanna was tensed to interfere, but Daine had the grace of an empress as she nodded politely to the man that had killed Arram Draper himself. Ozorne had not left the task to an executioner.

"I would like to take this bird with me, your imperial majesty. I know plovers aren't near as fancy as what you have in your aviary, but this one's taken to me." Daine's voice was very quiet, a clear effect of maintaining her composure, but not even Lord Martin could fault the delivery.

Ozorne stared at the bird tucked under the girl's arm, which showed no special interest in the emperor. It had started to look about, turning its beady dark eyes on anything that came into its field of vision, and clearly nuzzled at Daine's arm with the beak meant for snatching fish from the waters.

He seemed puzzled by her choice, but on occasion his good breeding would show itself. "Very well, Mistress Sarrasri. The bird is yours, and go from this place with my gratitude."

That was it. Alanna was very proud of the girl for sticking with their plan, and after a bow to the emperor she despised the delegation swiftly made their way to the waiting ship. Lord Martin scarcely had time to give the signal to the captain before the ship's cabin boys were releasing the knots holding ship to dock, and Alanna had almost no time to realize that the escape from Carthak to realize that she had a long journey of choppy waters ahead of her.

Daine came by to see her, bird still safely tucked in the crook of her arm, but correctly judged by the shade of Alanna's face that it would be better to hold any long conversations. "I'll just tell you later, Alanna, but it's alright. It'd be better if Lindhall hadn't barricaded himself in his room."

"He'll come out in time," Alanna managed from the relative comfort of a bed spelled to simulate being safe on land, but the ordeal of _talking _while on a ship was still far too much. If Daine hadn't been along, there was no way she would have made the trip to Carthak, Champion or not. She would have babysat Raoul's Own and made him handle the blasted diplomacy. "I'm afraid you'll have to occupy yourself with your new friend, dearie, because as soon as we're out of Carthak's reach I'm dosing myself to sleep. Sleeping salts will pull me out of it, if need be."

"I'll be sure to keep them on hand, and I'll talk to you as soon as we're in Corus."

Daine looked oddly happy, for someone that had just seen her first execution, but Alanna would puzzle on that later. The girl had already let herself out. It was a pity that she would be no help, and that Lindhall couldn't, but Daine had friends in all of the People. For the time, that would have to be enough.


	32. Strange

_Reviewers, you guys make my day way better. _

**The Emperor's Mage  
Chapter Thirty-two: Strange **

Daine might have tried talking to someone else in the Tortallan delegation, but Alanna stayed asleep for most of the trip and Lindhall refused to come out of his room no matter how often she asked. Daine hardly wanted to talk to her teacher through the door, especially when the topic was so important. Harailt of Ali was very nice, but she didn't know him well at all, and he wasn't nearly as Gifted as Jon or Alanna. Gary was almost as hard to find as Alanna, the way that he was constantly arguing with Jon or an entire team of advisors through a spelled mirror if he wasn't reading through the books and papers that littered his entire cabin.

Daine didn't say anything to George when Gary passed her the mirror, but thought that he might understand. "Ragi" had been on her shoulder, and was finally starting to feel stronger.

Arram had been very, very lucky in Carthak. He hadn't thought that he would need to pass Ozorne's scrutiny, but he had been so drained of magic by the end of the execution that not even Alanna had realized that there was a reason that the plover wasn't quite right. Now, though, it seemed like the best possible outcome. She had received the emperor's personal permission to take Arram out of Carthak, even if it would take at least another hour to get someone to help him change back.

Arram Draper had come dangerously close to tapping into all of the energy that powered his very life, when his Gift was gone, and a few weeks at sea hadn't regained enough strength for him to hope to shape-change without someone helping him. Alanna was going to be groggy for nearly a full day after the trip, and George wasn't likely to approve of any kind of strain, so Daine would just have to let Jon know first.

Lindhall refused to leave his rooms to see her even when their ship was tied to a dock at Corus. Daine packed up her things, checked on Alanna, and said goodbye to the sailors. She would see all of the courtiers again, but she would miss the ship's cheerful crew. They hadn't minded all when she asked them to cook the fish they caught for her "pet birdie," and had always spoken as if they knew Arram understood every single word.

One of the pages was waiting for her at the dock, with a summons to meet with King Jonathon at her earliest opportunity. Daine handed her things off to one of the palace servants without a second thought and followed the boy. She didn't know all of the pages yet, but this one was rather cute. The redheaded boy had very large hands and feet, and looked poised to begin a growth spurt at any second. Cleon blushed when she apologized for not having any coins on her for a tip, and the bashful boy practically fled when she offered to look in on his horse in the next week or so.

Daine knocked on the half-open door to Jon's office. He waved her in without looking up from a document, and she shut the door behind her before falling into the comfiest of the chairs across from the desk. Arram perched on the back of the chair, since that was much easier for a plover's feet than her shoulder.

She had to wait for him to finish the latest project, of course, but she didn't mind. It wasn't bad at all when he pushed the paper away just ten breaths later and immediately reached out for her hand. "Daine, are you well?" he asked. Alanna had all but adopted her, perhaps, but Daine had spent enough time with Thayet that she had gotten over almost all of her crush on the king. Somewhere in the process of that, Jon had started seeing her as one of his honorary nieces, and she rather liked that designation.

"I'm very well, sir, and I think everybody would be a little happier if they'd listened to me. I had wanted to tell Alanna or Lindhall first, as they were taking it hardest, but Arram Draper isn't dead."

Jon's gaze sharpened for a moment, as if he suspected that she was in denial, but Arram chose that moment to chirp. Jon looked at the plover disbelievingly, then at Daine. "Well," he said finally. "That changes things. I imagine that he wouldn't prefer to remain as a bird for much longer, and I can see that recovery even after changing back will take at least two weeks. He'll be welcome at the palace, even if we're going to have some kind of a time convincing people that he isn't the second coming of my uncle."

"Thank you, sir, he'd like that very much," Daine translated, not at all surprised that Arram had agreed. She had told him that he'd probably need to talk to the king or Alanna, unless he wanted to wait even longer. "Arram would also like to talk to you, when he can."

"Very well. Master Draper, you aren't agreeing to anything by accepting my help, and if you wish to remain in Tortall we can have final discussions in a day or so. I can give you at least an hour today, but I really need to get Gary in here before supper," Jon said briskly. "Daine, dear, please step out for a minute and find a servant. We'll need a set of clothing for your friend."

Daine had been ready to protest, but her mouth clicked shut when she realized just why Jon wanted her to step out. She blushed deeply and stood. Hardly anyone in Tortall was capable of moving their shape as Arram did, but in the few stories she had heard, those mages always came back to their human forms without a stitch of clothing on. Arram had already said that he would be fine left on his own, so there wasn't any need for her to lurk around hallways. "I'll just go and ask a servant, then, and if you need me I'll be out with the Riders."

Daine fled very quickly after that, and very easily found a servant that would walk a few sets of clothing fitted for a tall man over to the king's office. She realized only when she got to the Rider's barracks themselves that she wasn't necessarily going to find an easy situation. Onua and Sarge and all the two-leggers would be happy to see her, and most of the ponies would be just fine, but she'd have to work her way into Cloud's good graces and repeat all that over again with Kitten when she found George.

It was odd being in Tortall again, when she'd been used to Carthak's almost silent hallways and quiet gardens, but she preferred the constant chatter that barely faded on the walk between the palace to the Rider's herds. All of the ponies were clamoring to greet her, but even in their excitement they were careful not to step into the space that Cloud had claimed for herself.

Hello, Cloud, she said, making sure that the words were for her pony alone.

Cloud looked her over very carefully, nudging roughly at her arms and torso before deciding that Daine was still in one piece. Tell the fire-head and bird-man they did well looking after you.

Daine smiled. I will. They'll be glad to hear it.

Now tell the rest of the herd that they will need to wait. The large man needs to speak with you right away, and you are to ride me to the stables.

If Cloud had actually agreed to help, without even a minute of pretending to be too angry to allow Daine to ride her, then it was very serious indeed. Daine called out an apology and a promise to visit later to all of the herd as she clambered up onto Cloud's back, and when she was settled Cloud sped around the herd to race for the stables and whatever Sarge had to say.


	33. Measure

_I have tried to leave hints about the twist in this chapter from the start, but there was little room to give you clues without giving the entire plot away. _

**The Emperor's Mage  
Chapter Thirty-three: Measure **

None of the ponies in the stable were all that excited, and Cloud huffed her displeasure when they arrived at the stable to find Sarge chatting with the latest to be hired on to the Riders as an assistant. Daine hadn't done much work with Amadi, maybe, but the horses all thought very well of him. That was enough for her.

"Daine-girl, please tell me that somehow you brought Draper back with you," Sarge said without any ceremony at all.

Daine's jaw dropped, but she automatically recovered when she noticed the set of Sarge's back. He was playing at ease, maybe, but he was serious about the question. "Yessir. Arram told me about what really happened on the way back. He had a copy of himself executed while he was in bird shape, so Ozorne just executed a simal—samul—"

"Simulacra?" Amadi supplied politely.

"Yes, thank you. He had his simulawhatsit with enough magic that Alanna and Ozorne and everybody thought that Arram was dead, and on my way out afterward I had bird-Arram with me. Nobody was surprised at all, especially since he'd taken after a plover that was fair fond of me. Ozorne himself gave me permission to keep the bird, if that matters for anything."

Amadi smiled. It wasn't a very nice expression, exactly, but the fierce triumph seemed very obviously directed at Ozorne instead of her. "That will make things much easier, later, if the emperor that condemned Arram gave you permission to remove him from the country," Amadi said, as if that was any kind of explanation, before turning to look back at Sarge. For once, the always-casual trick rider looked a little nervous. "Sarge, are you..."

"I don't leave my people in over their heads when they're still learning to swim, you know that," Sarge interrupted, pointing toward the castle as he herded both of them forward. "Let's go on, it's bad enough that I'm losing Daine for a bit."

Daine stopped, leaving Sarge's broad hand pushing at her back with enough force that she almost toppled forward. "What do you mean, Sarge?"

"Thought it was obvious, lambkin. Draper's _here, _and the peacock cut his eyeteeth on your kind of magic. No offense to Master Reed, of course, but Draper can tell much more about animal-handling," Sarge said, practical as always. "You're going to be in lessons with him soon, knowing that he's an egghead and you're interested, and Carthak's already made your control better. Every last pony minded you when you were in a rush, and quietly at that."

"Oh." Daine hadn't had time to imagine anything that might come after, but she didn't have any protests to learning more about magic. "Why're you losing Amadi, then?"

"If no offense is taken, I would prefer to tell everyone at once," Amadi said, looking faintly embarrassed. That alone would have convinced Daine, even beyond the polite words, so they talked about little things as Sarge nudged them toward the king's office. Amadi mentioned several ponies that had taken an interest in his type of riding, and Daine and Sarge had helped him to understand just what it was about the ponies that coaxed them into stepping forward.

The conversation turned to recent injuries, as it always seemed to do with the small skirmishes against Carthaki forces, and that was when Daine remembered one of many smaller stories about Carthak. "Oh! Arram taught me a bit of healing, Sarge, and I bet that I can learn to heal just as much as the Palace folk. I fixed a bowed tendon on a prize little mare that rest wasn't helping."

Amadi stopped, that time, and she and Sarge had to turn back to see him. "Hanan?" he asked.

Daine nodded, puzzled. "Right." She would have asked if he had worked in the palace stables, to know the mare's name, but they had already made their way back to Jon's office door. This time, Sarge was the one to knock, but Amadi was the first one through the door. Daine barely recognized Arram Draper, pacing by Jon's desk in the plain clothing of a servant, but Amadi had thrown himself at the man without any trace of his usual reserve.

Arram looked just as shocked for a moment, but he recovered well and thumped Amadi on the back. Somehow, Arram had kept his balance despite the unexpected embrace. He disentangled himself from Amadi to nod to King Jonathon. "As I was saying, your majesty, I am pleased to offer you every advantage I can in the war that Ozorne _will _bring against your shores, perhaps before his patron goddess realizes that he has been neglecting her for several years. I maintained the temples, while I was there, but Ozorne has refused people the right to leave gifts for the Gods." All present made the sign against evil, except for Arram and Amadi. Arram looked tired, and Amadi was angry. "I was the sole keeper of the scrolls that describe just how to open the Realms of the Immortals, not that I ever told the emperor, and I sent them to your country for safekeeping in the hands of this man."

Some final weight had left Arram's shoulders, leaving room for a mischievous expression that Daine had certainly never seen before. Arram Draper bowed fluidly to the king, with every ounce of grace that he had, looking every inch a high courtier even while dressed as a servant. "King Jonathon, may I present His Royal Highness Kaddar, prince of Siraj, duke of Yamut, count of Amar, first lord of the Imperium, heir apparent to His Most Serene Emperor Ozorne of Carthak."

Amadi- Prince Kaddar- bowed to King Jonathon, the shallow bow due to the land's monarch's from a crown prince. Gary dropped his half-open scroll, Daine's jaw dropped, and Jon stared at the stable-boy that just might become emperor to Tortall's very aggressive southern neighbor.

Four seconds passed before Jon reacted. He calmly rang the bell that sat at the edge of his desk. When a servant appeared just moments later, Jon politely requested more chairs, and that the servant please send runners for Lady Alanna, Baron George Cooper, Sir Myles of Olau, Sir Gareth the Elder, Lord Martin, Prince Roald, Princess Kalasin, and the queen.

An hour later, after everyone had time to assemble in a larger meeting room, the servants had brought light refreshments, and both Kaddar and Arram had been dressed in something a little more suiting to the occasion, the true peace accords between Tortall and Carthak began.


	34. Leave

_The story is coming very close to an ending, and I'd like to thank everybody that's been leaving their ideas and impressions for the whole story. Several pieces of the plot only happened because of suggestions from you guys, and I think the story would have been much worse without them._

**The Emperor's Mage  
Chapter Thirty-four: Leave **

Daine had stayed through most of the impromptu peace conference. Alanna had been shocked at both items of news: Arram and the heir to the Carthaki throne were alive. This led into the news that Arram had brought the scrolls detailing the construction of the barriers between the gods and the mortals, as well as detailed news about how it would be an extremely wise decision to get on the Graveyard Hag's good side, and they talked about all of those implications while she took a detour. Daine had broken into Lindhall's suite to break the news, and after several minutes of reassuring her teacher, he had sprinted to the king's office so quickly that Daine had barely been able to keep up with him.

Arram had been sitting that time, luckily, because Lindhall had tripped at the last instant and Arram had managed to catch the man out of the air. That had led to yet another long series of yelling and explanations. This time, Daine stayed while they explained what had happened with Kaddar. The prince himself hadn't realized that Arram had found a way to save him, and had thought the entire time that his closest friend would execute him. Kaddar had fallen asleep in his cells, and when he had woken up, a Corus mage was removing a sleep-spell. Sarge had waited for him to calm down before explaining things. He had ended up waiting for a good long time, but by the time all that excitement was over, Kaddar accepted a place in the stables until the rest of Arram's protections were in place.

When they had actually moved on to the business at hand, things had been much calmer. There had been the odd moment when Daine dragged Jon and Thayet aside to tell them about her da, and Jon had nearly choked on his wine, but that was the most excitement after they'd moved to the conference room. George had smoothed that one over, and Daine could hardly blame him for keeping the secret. When she told him so, he'd kissed her forehead and called her a kind lass.

The conference had been a bit of a letdown, after the way that the Carthaki one had dragged on for days over the stupidest of things. Kaddar had been able to easily promise the reasonable demands that Jon had drafted, in their original form, and then there had been the part where Thayet mentioned that close allies often had marriage to link them. Princess Kalasin was quite pink, and Kaddar looked flushed himself, and nothing else was said. Thayet looked quite pleased with herself, though, even if Jon and Roald looked equally shocked that she had said it so bluntly.

Daine left when they began to talk about the tiny specifics of ending with Kaddar on the Carthaki throne. George, Alanna, Lindhall and Sarge were all at the peace conference, which meant that Kitten had been left with Onua. Kitten would be unhappy enough that Daine had been gone at all, but if she was left alone for too long while Daine was actually _in _the palace, there would be no end of mischief to right later.

Kitten had been soothed, eventually, but it had taken a full hour of stories and petting and compliments before the dragonet would even accept a gift. Onua had watched the entire production, and then laughed when the dragon sulkily agreed to accept a present. Kitten had meticulously undone the ribbon tied around the box, looking unhappy the entire time, but once she'd found her present she trilled her appreciation.

"You've spoiled her rotten, Daine. How are you going to top opals for a present?"

Daine smiled. The uncut black opals had been expensive, maybe, but they were the rough type of opal that the magicians generally didn't have the patience to wield. "When she's tired of having them as loose stones," Daine started, ignoring Kitten's dismissive chirp, "I'll get one of the jewelers to have them put onto a chain so she can keep them with her much easier." Kitten looked much more pleased with that arrangement, and it seemed that three opals was a high enough price to win her affections back.

"Sarge tells me that you'll be learning healing."

"I already know the way that it works, and I think that I can help a few of the lamed ponies that we have in the back pasture."

Onua leaned against the wall of Daine's suite, half-smiling. "That's the business end of it, then, and however glad I am to hear that you'll be more use to the Riders than ever... I'd rather hear just how you came out of Carthak with the mage that can hold his ground against Alanna and Jon together."

Daine still wanted to know, herself, but Onua had been the one to tell her that sometimes you only worked a problem out when you talked it through. She started at the beginning, this time not interrupted by Kitten's demands, and just three minutes later Kitten had replaced her opals in the box and climbed into Daine's lap.

"I'll rest easier knowing you're back," Onua said, speaking quietly. Kitten had fallen asleep half an hour into Daine's story, and was sprawled contentedly over her foster mother's lap. "I know you can look out for yourself, but I like knowing that when you're home."

She would tell Sarge eventually, and maybe Alanna's children and the royals when they were old enough, but Onua deserved to hear before any of them. She'd been the one that gave Daine the chance before knowing anything about her work with horses, when Daine had been wandering through the fair in Cria three years back.

"Arram told me who my da was. George has known all along, but he said that it's best to let gods tell their stories in their own time." The words were embarrassing, almost, as if Daine were claiming some undeserved power.

Onua's jaw dropped, but that reaction was gone within moments. "Horse lords, girl, no wonder you're such trouble when you're the mind to be. Godborn or god chosen, you always have the faster paths to walk. Which one was it, then?"

"Weiryn."

Onua nodded slowly. "I know his stories, after so long in the north. Several of the weapons dealers in Cria have little shrines to him, fresh kills left at the base of an unstrung bow—one that no mortal can draw, traditionally," Onua said thoughtfully. "It fits, as Weiryn is the antlered fellow with the knack for bow and arrow if my recollection is right. He could hardly feel ashamed with you as a child, even if he was fool enough to ignore all the rest you do. You're the best with a bow that I've seen."

"You really think so?"

"He can take it up with me if he disagrees, Daine, but you'd do any parent proud."

The way Onua said it... Daine's eyes widened as she recognized the half-proud, half-shy expression. That wasn't the look of a woman not planning on any children younger than fifteen-year-old Rider recruits. "Onua! Did you?"

"Yes, I did," her friend said with relish. "Sarge kept on thinking that I couldn't tell him from the last man, as if that were ever a mistake that I'd make, so I told him that we were going to put the hormone-driven recruits to shame no matter what ended up happening, and I'd rather make it happen on a regular basis."

Daine hadn't realized they'd be so far as canoodling already, when they'd just been making occasional eyes for the ponies to see before, but couldn't imagine how that was a bad thing. "Good, now you can tell Buri that she and Lord Sir Raoul have been making occasional eyes at each other long enough."

Onua smiled slyly. "Careful with all that matchmaking, Daine, or it just might rub away on you."

"Well, maybe, but there aren't all that many unclaimed single men to interest me."

Onua didn't look any less pleased with herself, much to Daine's annoyance, but after a moment they both turned to talking horses and ponies again as they always did. Onua knew that Perin hadn't been interesting for more than a month or so. Daine was going to wait a while before she started up with boys again, anyway. She had lessons to learn and People to catch up with and a whole lot of friends to mind. She wouldn't have time for men for a while yet.


	35. Fit

_I'm not entirely sure where this story will stop, now that things are much more stable and leaning toward a happy ending. Suggestions are welcome._

**The Emperor's Mage  
Chapter Thirty-five: Fit**

Daine had known for years that mages were the worst of all possible patients (excepting healers), but Arram seemed determined to go against all of the natural order at once. When Alanna very sternly ordered him to not use a trace of Gift for three days, and even after that to move very slowly, he had agreed. Alanna had started reinforcing her demand with reasons and coaxing on instinct, and it had taken her a full minute to realize that Arram was going to cooperate. If he used his Gift overmuch while still recovering, he wouldn't have much of a Gift later.

Kaddar and Jon were holed up in the most private office Jon had at his disposal, which meant that they had kicked Myles out of his conference room. As Myles couldn't get much work done with a king and a potential emperor having private conferences about the best way to set about ruling a country, as well as the economic advantages of an economy based on paid labor, Myles and Alanna had taken all of her children up to Olau to visit the orchards. George would follow after a few days. His office wasn't taken up, after all, so he was keeping track of Arram's replacement in the unofficial slave export channels from Carthak. Some brilliant fellow or other had managed to forge all the right documents to set himself up as a slaver, and George was happy to supply the man with all the marks of successful foreign commerce when he brought an entire shipload of people to safety.

Thayet and Kalasin were having their own conferences. That left Daine with Roald quite often, not that she could take all that much of his time. He was in his second year of a page, and she wouldn't leave him too exhausted for the rest of his day. Still, he was a smart young man, and he knew that his sister would probably be betrothed sooner rather than later. Daine didn't understand much at all about arranged marriages, so she let Roald talk to her, and that seemed to work quite well.

At most, she spent two bells of the day with Roald. That left the rest of her day to show Arram around, and it was very easy to keep track of him if she had to leave for even four hours at a time. She showed him over to the Royal College, and one of the mages would happily keep him occupied with discussing the barriers between the realms or resolving paradoxes or happily arguing about philosophy. Daine would have thought that the chief healer's son was a bit young to argue so stridently with his instructors, but Duke Baird never seemed all that surprised to find his son and one of the other novices driven to yelling to make their points. In any case, Queenscove seemed a little too impressed with Arram Draper to let his debates devolve into yelling after just an hour.

For the rest of the time, Daine showed Arram around Corus. She had guessed that he would be impressed with the menageries, but hadn't realized that she'd be driven to blushing with the way he kept asking questions and exclaiming over the way she'd coaxed the palace mages into mimicking a suitable habitat. He liked the markets, of course, and when she wrote her first letter to Varice he coached her in the right sort of hidden message to give her the right idea. It was surprisingly hard to introduce him to the Riders, since Onua very rarely liked court dandies, but Daine shouldn't have worried. Sarge already liked him, and Arram had saved "Amadi's" life, so the entire stable was predisposed to like him. Onua would like anyone that had helped Sarge so well, besides, so it was a very easy visit. Even Buri liked him, probably because he admired the new carvings on the west side of the stable as Chavi without any sort of prompting. Even if he'd just guessed that it would be Chavi West-wind from the direction, there were some nobles that couldn't tell east from west, and nobody would have memorized the story just to impress Buri and perhaps Onua.

Things settled after the first few days. George let things be when he rode to Olau, and didn't start the slow rumors about Arram Draper being alive until he'd come back from a full week of vacation. Kaddar and Jon had decided to wait another few weeks before letting the story of his survival escape to all of the world at once, which would expose the false charges against him by necessity, and that they wouldn't try to install Kaddar onto the throne. They would wait for Ozorne to attack Tortall, or for Ozorne to be deposed by his own people, but Kaddar would play the part of a prince-in-exile and let things happen as they would. As Jon had appointed Kaddar to oversee the renovation of the little Corus temple devoted to the Graveyard Hag, they didn't think that it would take very long.

Lindhall still took her for lessons about once a week, but he had plenty of students left in the pages and the younger scholars attached to the university. If Arram stayed, Lindhall would even take another graduate student that needed a research-oriented mentor.

Quite a few things came down to "if Arram stayed," lately, and it wasn't just scholarly arrangements. Alanna and George had offered to grant a subset of their lands to Arram, if he liked. They had a tower on the edges of their property that would suit a bachelor mage very well. It was within a day's ride of Corus, he could easily ride over to visit, and he would still have enough isolation to suite a black-robe mage. Jon and Gary had worked together on some arrangement that would guarantee that Arram would be free from any charge that Ozorne could make, and George had double-checked the particulars.

The problem was that all of Tortall seemed to think that they had gained a mage from their peace conference, and further rumor generally said that he had changed allegiances just for Daine. She hardly thought that was the case, when he'd already had Kaddar safe and so many arrangements in place, but some idiot bard had made them into a _love song. _It was no use protesting she was sixteen, back in Snowsdale she would be an old maid already if nobody had come courting. He wasn't all that old, either, and she could admit he was handsome. That didn't mean that he'd faked his own execution because he liked her eyes. (The ruder version said that he'd liked her bosom, but that one had quickly turned into a brawl when stupid Evin Larse decided to defend her honor and had nearly ended up setting the bar on fire. Somehow, Arram had gotten credit for the way that someone tipped a lantern into the pot of cooking oil, and all of the newer songs focused on safe things like eyes and smiles.)

In the end, she was shocked that it had taken her two weeks to come to the obvious conclusion. Nobody seemed to know what Arram's plans were, for all that Kaddar thought his friend would go back to Carthak in time and Jon thought that Arram would stay. If nobody knew what he was doing, then Daine would have to ask him.


	36. Elusive

_Reviewers, you rock, and a few of you are still mentioning ideas that move this story forward. This chapter was much better thanks to a timely comment from WellITriedSoManyOptions._

**The Emperor's Mage  
Chapter Thirty-six: Elusive**

Arram Draper was surprisingly hard to find, once she started to make the effort. She made the mistake of asking two-leggers first, who sent her in all directions imaginable, before remembering that the People already had quite a bit of interest in the two-legger that had came back with Daine. A few of the menagerie animals even had their own gossip that she would be producing kits with the man at any given moment, and the tigers had refused to dignify any of her protests with a response. The bears had at least listened to reason, but tigers were the worst, when they'd gotten an idea latched into their heads.

When the tigers actually took an interest in a two-legger, then all of the menagerie wanted to know what was so special, and with the entire menagerie gossiping about Daine's new friend, it had taken under a week for nearly every animal in Corus to recognize Arram on sight. Cloud was very smug when Daine finally thought to ask someone that would know useful things.

Look for your stork-man in the food-room. Cloud lipped Daine's shoulder, for once showing no interest in biting. The tigers were right, you know. He would make very fine foals.

Daine reddened at the images that her mind happily supplied. "Thanks, Cloud. I'll go talk with him now and let you think about that all on your own." She retreated fast, muttering to herself when a few of the louder birds yelled for all to hear about Daine's future eggchicks. She did manage to collect herself, before she went right on into the dining hall, but she needn't have bothered. Arram was sitting at one of the tables in the empty mess hall, but he wasn't alone. Kitten was sitting in his lap, of all places, and imperiously tapping various pictures in some large book or other with her claws.

"Hullo," Daine said, from far enough back that neither of them were all that started. Kitten whistled at her, but even when Daine took the seat beside them, it was clear that her dragonet was going to be soaking up someone else's attention for a while.

Arram had his arms occupied with steadying Kitten and keeping the book steady, but he did smile at her. "Kitten has requested lessons in anatomy. These books are meant for you, but she had them opened before I was here. Buri said I might as well keep her occupied."

Daine didn't know what to think of any of this, so she looked over a fancy picture of the insides of a rabbit. It was nice to see Kitten getting on with anybody so well, let alone someone she hadn't known for even two weeks yet, but it had been hard. Kitten could hold a grudge when she so chose, and it was fair easy when there were so many other people keeping the dragonet happy and spoiled. Daine could have gone to Pirate's Swoop, but Thom was busy catching up on his magic lessons with Harailt and the twins were staying with Auntie Thayet. George and Alanna didn't have near enough time to themselves, so she was in Corus, but Onua had left that morning to head up to Galla for the horse fair.

Roald was very busy with being a page, and Kalasin was quite happy showing Kaddar all that the city could offer. Thayet and Sarge were still figuring out the likely way that they'd need to handle Carthak, Buri was helping with that and working out the annual reports for the Riders, and it seemed like all her friends were too busy to do things with her. At least her pony was still all hers, even if Cloud would think that somebody like Arram would pick a gawky teenager that still forgot that her da was a god.

She looked on while Arram explained to Kitten what a duodenum was, and that seemed to be the last lesson of the day. Kitten settled back thoughtfully, chirping to Arram before crawling over to Daine's lap and promptly slumping over asleep. Daine couldn't help looking surprised when her wayward dragon finally settled with her again. Arram smiled, but there was nothing unkind in the expression.

"I think that she was looking for you, but was forced to settle with listening to me," Arram said gravely.

"You'd've known if she were settling. I don't know if anyone introduced her proper, but this is Kitten. Her proper name's Skysong. Her ma, Flamewing, came through the barrier all on her own when a bunch of Carthak mages were attacking Alanna's home 'cause Thayet was there." Daine stroked Kitten's neck a little too hard, checking to see if she was listening, but the dragonet was too exhausted to perk up at the familiar story. "Dragons are smart like two-leggers, and I saw scrolls in Flamewing's mind. It'll be years and years before Kitten can talk to me, too, but she understands well enough."

Arram looked as if he were holding back ten dozen questions, and Daine knew that sometime he would find her with an entire blank scroll, a quill, and ink to get the answers to every question he had about dragons. "I think that's the most we've been able to talk all week," he said. "I imagine that Kitten would prefer to stay just where she is, but I've gone five entire days and haven't offended the Rider mess cooks yet. Would you like me to ask if they have any makings for a cold lunch?"

Daine hadn't thought about lunch in her treks all over Corus looking for the man, much like she hadn't thought about what she would say to him. Kaddar was leaving as soon as he could take his country back, or as soon as George's contacts could guarantee his safety in one of several potential rebellions. Kalasin would be following him, and Daine bet that it wouldn't take all that long. Kally was eleven, now, and with such an important marriage she'd likely be in the country a full year before the wedding. She might be gone in just a few more years.

The lunch was very nice, but all of her unasked questions went unanswered. One of the cook's assistants had helped bring two trays out, a smiling blonde woman that made Daine think of Varice and all of the half-written letters cluttering Daine's desk.

She said barely anything while they ate, mostly excusing the awkward silence by fussing over Kitten. The dragonet opened her eyes for a few moments, to scarf the offered cheese, but then she curled more comfortably on Daine's lap and didn't so much as twitch. Arram was a clever man. He could certainly tell when he was being ignored, as odd as it was for a body to ignore him after all the trouble of seeking him out.

"Daine, is everything alright?"

"No." She looked up, startled that she had said even that much, and it was his expression that made her continue. Whatever might happen later, he was her friend. She wouldn't stop being his friend because he and some one of the Rider cooks were happy tumbling each other in the hayloft, or even because Kaddar kept offering bribes and coaxing to bring Arram back to Carthak after Ozorne was deposed. "I s'pose I just don't like not knowing things, and there's a lot of that going on. My friends are all over the place and nobody knows where anybody's going to stay, Kitten's like to be staying back for at least another week before she really talks with me again, my da's a _god _and Jon's threatening me with a title all over again, since he's giving me half-credit for making the peace with Carthak even if it won't hold at all."

Arram nodded, and considered that deluge of information for several seconds before replying. "I can completely sympathize with a dislike of uncertainty, and even with not knowing quite what friends will do. Kitten will forgive you in time, especially when she realizes how much more content she is chattering with you. I'm afraid that having a god for a parent is entirely out of my line of expertise, but Jon has been dangling a title at me, as well."

Daine half-smiled at the very calm response. Just like Arram, to have an answer for everything. "Jon's been meaning to do it for a while, I think, but he needs to be sure that there aren't nobles fighting that he's making a commoner a full noble. He's just making me a lady, not a countess or anything, but a couple nobles have been very rude about my ma not being married."

"Hm. It would be unwise to say the least to advertise your parentage broadly, but if you like petty slights, I might watch the archery performance of any man or woman who slights you. Weiryn's influence is weak, this far from his mortal domain, but he certainly can pull at a bowstring."

Daine couldn't remember at all why she'd been so irritated with the man just minutes before, but she never seemed to feel just a little when she was talking to him. It was either all irritation and being vexed and thinking that no one in the world was so impossible, or all smiles and feeling like she'd taken a full cup of punch from a Rider party at Midwinter and like no one else would ever understand her so well. Onua understood horses, and Lindhall all the rest of the animals, and Alanna having magic you didn't understand and George knew about people thinking that you weren't worth what life would give you. Sarge knew about ignoring what the world said that you were, and the children knew all about not getting enough credit, and Cloud remembered everything about running with wolves.

Somehow, she had the feeling that Arram could understand all of that, even if he'd never ride a horse with anything resembling grace.

"I might let Jon do it, this time," Daine admitted. "He said it wouldn't be until my seventeenth birthday, to be sure he has time to bully everyone into doing it right and Thayet has time to be sure that she has the rest all in place. I don't know at all about running a fief, yet, but Myles and Alanna and George are all set to teach me and they'll get someone to keep things going for me, at least for a while."

"I think you would like it, if only to have land all your own." Arram closed the book carefully, brushing a hand over the title embossed on the leather cover. _An Encyclopedia of Animalian Anatomy _was written stamped in golden script, large enough that the author's name was only thin lines of gleaming. "It could easily become a sanctuary for whatever animals that you'd care to protect."

No one else had broached that idea, or Daine would have readily taken on a title years ago. The rush of exhilaration at what she could do, given some land of her own, gave her the boldness to ask the question that had been bothering her for two weeks.

"And what of you, Master Draper?" she teased, not even caring that the blonde cook was making her way over to their table. Maybe that woman was sleeping with Arram, but Daine was the one that had his attention. "Just where are you going to stay?"

He answered seriously, just like he knew that she wasn't actually teasing. "I'll be in Tortall for as long as its majesties will keep me," he said. "I know that Kaddar will turn Carthak around, but I've had enough of deserts and crocodiles and politics. Tortall will take just anybody in, it seems, and that's exactly why I want to stay."

It felt like a promise when their eyes met, even if they didn't say another word about the subject. He assured the cook that the meal had been delightful and he was much obliged, but then he offered to carry the books back to Daine's room in the palace. Any servant could have done the task, of course, but the petty little thoughts in the back of her mind were much happier with this arrangement. Daine hefted Kitten up into her arms, and she swore that Arram's chest puffed out when she was impressed he'd carry all of those books without a magic to lighten them. (She thought she saw the books rise two inches, just a minute later, but she didn't say a word about it. There was no use in having him exhaust his arms carrying her books around.)

They talked all the way back to the palace, and if nothing was as serious and no eye contact as much of a portent, she hadn't smiled so much in days, and he wasn't putting any real effort into impressing her. Maybe that was a bad sign, for those murky later plans that her thoughts helpfully supplied, but it wasn't at all a bad thing in a friend.


	37. Painstaking

_Time-skips will be frequent for the rest of this story, as short as it's likely to be. Happy seventeenth birthday, Daine! Enjoy the long chapter. _

_If you already feel the loss of an alternate universe from Tortall—I could write these all year. The first chapter of Lady Lioness has already been posted, and it's based on an even easier premise. Alanna's mother didn't die in childbirth, Alanna never became a knight, and the entire world was different by the time that sixteen-year-old Lady Alanna of Trebond was presented at court._

**The Emperor's Mage  
Chapter Thirty-seven: Painstaking**

No amount of help from her allies in the People would save her, Daine knew, but it was still tempting to ask the sparrows just outside the window to come in and frighten the seamstresses. She knew it was an uncharitable thought, and that it was definitely unbecoming of the lady she would be by the end of the night, but Thayet was being impossible. Daine told her so, with all of her usual candor, and it was a testament to the sheer amount of dress-fitting that had happened in the last week that not one of the seamstresses or maids present reacted to someone telling the queen to go bother her husband instead.

After a full hour of final touches and last alterations, and five minutes before Daine lost her patience and convinced every animal in her range to come visit the queen's sitting room, the seamstresses stepped away. Daine, of course, was not in command of the fleet of girls. They answered to Queen Thayet and her favorite dressmaker, Rielle. It seemed to Daine that Rielle should really be a dress-sketcher, when Daine had yet to see Rielle touch something so common as a needle, but everyone else seemed happy enough with an arrangement that left Daine sewn into a steel-grey dress with a neckline that had nothing at all to do with her neck.

After Rielle nodded her approval and Thayet kissed both Rielle and Daine on the cheek, Daine was finally allowed to see the results, and somehow she couldn't hate the dress so much as it deserved. It had been the reason that she stood perfectly still for ten hours, without even a book to occupy herself, and it had been the cause for dozens of accidental pinpricks. (Daine still thought several had been intentional, but would also admit that she had probably deserved them after that disaster of a fitting.) By all rights, she could hate it and set it on fire the instant that her debut ball was over. Thayet would stop being smug, or at least she would have knocked it off if Daine hadn't already reacted.

It was a very pretty shade of silver, one that made her eyes shine blue, and the neckline wasn't all that bad. It cut wide instead of deep, showing all of her collarbones and only four fingers beneath them, and the cap sleeves were light enough that she still had the range of motion to draw a bow if she felt the need. (Daine had insisted that her dress would not be pink or she would have every animal in her range defecate on it, and for once Thayet had backed down from a threat.) The seamstresses had sewn her into the bodice, which shifted into skirts with soft, comfortable layers under the stiff, shining fabric on the outside. They had even lined the bodice with silk when the stitches made Daine fidget.

"It's wonderful," she admitted finally, rather taken with the sight of herself in the mirror. Ma never would have believed this, or maybe she had. Maybe she'd known things would get better, later, and Alanna was fair sure that her Ma would be able to watch things now. "Thank you, everybody, and I promise I'll only be half as much of a grouch next time."

The seamstresses tried to hide their smiles when they nodded in acknowledgment. Rielle herself nodded very stiffly before leaving, with all six of the younger girls scurrying after her while picking up whatever scraps of fabric and designs came to hand.

"You were very good, Daine," Thayet said teasingly, standing behind the girl and looking at their reflection. When she continued, her voice and expression alike were more serious. "I know that you hate this kind of thing, but it means a lot to me that you're going to let us fuss over you properly. We even convinced Buri to come."

"I've been looking forward to it, actually." Daine gathered her skirts into one hand carefully. She had been practicing the motions with Thayet and Kally in the months before her formal presentation, but she had never tried with materials so fine. "It's not as if I haven't been to all the fancy dinners for the last age, and I've been the middle of attention plenty. I just haven't been the focus when I was dressed up all nice before."

"We all wanted to be sure that you'd have all the attention you deserve."

The words sounded ominous, and the words were on the tip of Daine's tongue to protest that she didn't need more presents than a fief of her own, but her jaw dropped when Thayet opened the expected box of jewelry. The gemstone earbobs had been nice, and the pendant with the opal the size of a knuckle, but this would make everything else in her growing collection of jewelry look paltry.

Daine wasn't one for many material things, but just the sight of the silver pearl earbobs and the matching necklace was enough to halt even her instinctive protests that they were spending too much money on her. She would be a lady in just a few hours, with lands of her own, and it wasn't as if she couldn't spoil all of them right back.

"Arram said that you'd mentioned pearls, once, and from there..." Thayet put the earbobs in for her, one after another, as if it was perfectly natural for a queen to act as someone's handmaiden. "There's a card in your room, so we didn't have to think about finding things later, but this is from me, Jon, Kally, Alanna, George, Myles, Lindhall, Miri, and Arram. Miri's aunt married a pearl-diver, and she'd been saving this set for somebody special."

Daine touched the pearls gently while Thayet fastened them around her neck. "I'll be sending everybody lots of letters, you can be sure about that."

Thayet beamed, but for once Daine didn't feel paled in comparison. The shining of the pearls had captivated far too much of her attention. "George actually lost a bet. He thought that you'd need to be talked into the present again, but the rest of us knew better. You and Arram understand each other far too well for a hand-chosen present to not work out exactly as planned."

Someone knocked on the door before Daine had to come up with a response to that odd statement. Alanna was in an elaborate lavender dress with matching gems at her ears, something that must have taken at least two people to finish up nicely, and Thayet had been wearing her own overly-detailed dress throughout Daine's entire fitting. She supposed she'd need to get more used to complicated dresses, as a full lady of the court, but she was spending every last minute on her home fief in breeches. Visitors could stuff it if they didn't like the informal dress code, she would be close enough to Corus that she'd be dressing up enough as it was.

Somehow, she got all the way to the ballroom without realizing that no one had mentioned her escort. George had already taken Alanna's arm, and the king wouldn't take anyone but Thayet or his own daughters, and Sir Myles was already inside. Onua and Sarge had taken a seat at the Rider-populated table, but neither was one for the spotlight at formal affairs. Sir Raoul was very kind, but hardly one of her close friends, and Lindhall had already said very firmly that he would only trip himself and her in front of the entire assembly.

Somehow, she still wasn't surprised when Arram was there. He had been leaning against a wall to wait for the party, wearing his black silk robe over a dark blue shirt and black pants. She could pay more attention to his clothes, perhaps, but she was more surprised by the absence of a great deal of jewelry. He had his amber eardrop, the one that she always asked to hold to study the little insect that had been trapped inside for thousands of years, and one black opal set on a chain around his neck.

She thought that she had been staring for far too long without saying much of anything, but he broke the silence before she could stutter out some vowel sound or other. "You look beautiful, Daine."

She'd heard far more eloquent things, perhaps, but his complete sincerity always made her blush faster than anything else. "Thanks, Arram—Numair, sorry," she corrected, blushing even pinker. "I swear I'll remember one of these days, but it might not be until my eighteenth birthday."

"It's not much of a concern within the palace itself," Numair said kindly, taking her arm while she composed herself again. "Happy birthday. Not just everyone gets land and a title for the occasion, you know."

"I haven't even thought of a name," Daine confessed. "I didn't know until yesterday that I'd be getting land on the sea, just an hour's ride from Alanna and George, and this morning I heard that there's a fishing village."

"There's an entire cove of oysters, as well. They're the source of the necklace. Alanna had me ride out that way to be sure that we had a good enough foundation to begin building on four months ago, and between our shameless flattery and Miri's letters home, they were happy to add on the pearls as a welcoming gift."

"Miri's village?" Daine was not at all sure what to make of the news.

"It's fine," Numair assured her quietly. "They didn't have a lord, and recently they've been having problems with thieves stealing hours of work off of the sand. The pearl-divers are happy for the funding you can bring, as well as guards, and the fishermen were as happy as anything to have you living there. They're quite sure that you'll be good luck, and that's with the full knowledge that you'll not bring any animals to their nets."

Daine relaxed, even if it was quite odd to think that Miri could someday be one of the commoners that technically owed allegiance to her. Daine would be a very different kind of noble, though, and Jon had known that from the very start. "I still need to name the fief. The village itself is usually just Waves-on-the-Rock, if I remember right."

"That won't come until the end of the night, magelet," Numair soothed, squeezing her shoulders. "Even if you can't think of anything just yet, tell the crowd that you'll need more time to consider and then make the thank-you speech. It'll be fine."

Daine exhaled slowly, then looked up into his eyes. "I don't know what I'd do without you, Numair," she said, her blush entirely replaced by a smile. "It seems that you're always there to help when I need it."

Numair actually kissed her hand, something that he had certainly never done before. It was something that he did with all the court ladies, and even then he only bent over the hand with the ladies he actually liked. Daine blushed all over again, noticing that, but Numair didn't say a word about the sudden rush of heat to her cheeks.

Maybe it was wishful thinking, but Daine could have sworn that his voice was a few tones lower than normal. "I would say that I'm returning the favor, but I think we've traded that back and forth so many times that it doesn't count for anything now."

They didn't have time to say anything else before she was introduced to the court, but maybe it was just as well. She hadn't known at all what to say in response to such a thing, and he hadn't looked any more confident about what the proper response would be. She did dance with him several times that night, but she never had the chance to sit. Jon took her hand for one song, even, and George chose the most complicated song of the night and was just as short of breath as Daine when it finally came to a close. The nobles held their tongues about Daine's mother, for once, perhaps warned by the way that one of Daine's friends was always just within hearing.

To add to the wonders, Daine didn't stutter at all when it was her turn to address the court. She thought that she had managed to sound fair gracious, by the way that her friends looked fit to burst out of happiness, and she even had a few of the conservatives smiling with her praise to Tortall itself.

She named her fiefdom Pearl Cove, and for one of the last times wondered what all the folk in Snowsdale would think of her now. They hadn't been much impressed with Sarra's bastard, or with the girl that ran with wolves. They probably wouldn't recognize Lady Veralidaine of Pearl Cove, like it said in the handkerchief that Kalasin had embroidered for her in the tiniest stitches Daine had ever seen. Her friends would, though, just as they'd recognize her covered in muck from cleaning out the stalls or even as the tigress that was play-wrestling Roald in the courtyard.

Daine had friends now, the best of them, and nearly all of them knew the truth about her ma. They knew that her mother had taken a god to her bed one Beltane, and that she'd refused to get married all those years after because she had her own ways of being faithful. Her friends knew that her ma was a goddess, now, and that her da had been the one to leave the bow at the foot of her bed on the last Beltane to pass.

People could say all that they liked about Lady Veralidaine or Daine Sarrasri or Sarra's bastard. Daine knew the truth about her ma and about her own reputation, and so did all that mattered.

The new certainty lasted when the ball ended well after midnight, and even while two of the younger seamstresses carefully undid the seams down her left side. Alanna had appointed herself the second attendant of the night, it seemed, because she was the one to put the pearls away carefully and shake out Daine's nightgown. The pampering wasn't at all necessary, but it was her birthday and her friends liked showing that she cared.

"I'll send out letters about it later, Alanna, but this was the best birthday ever," Daine said shyly, just before Alanna was ready to return to her own room for the night.

"Let's hope that they can keep on going up from here," Alanna said. She sounded far too mischievous, given the hour, but she only smiled at Daine's skeptical look. "A few brave young men have started asking about the new lady at court, but none have been brave enough to ask one of us directly."

Daine hardly remembered saying goodnight. She spent minutes looking at her mirror, wondering, and only shook herself out of the self-indulgence of imagining all of the young men she might like to date when she heard the wall guard call the hour. She rested a hand on the small box holding a fortune in pearls, the most beautiful thing that she had ever owned, and wondered if any of those young men would understand her half as well as Numair.


	38. Seasons

_I think that this story will end with forty chapters. That's not set in stone just yet, but it is drawing to a close. I've had a lot of fun writing this, and I've been thrilled that so many people enjoyed reading the story. _

_The next project, Lady Lioness, sadly lacks any trace of Daine. She might be two by the time that story's timeline is finished. There will (eventually) be a part for a young Arram Draper. Alanna went to the convent, but she needs allies more than ever. Arram definitely qualifies._

**The Emperor's Mage  
Chapter Thirty-eight: Seasons**

Of all of the people in Tortall that made it their business to keep an eye on Daine, especially as she began taking on more and more of her role as the lady of Pearl Cove, not one of them could claim to be the first to realize that she wasn't just making business conquests. George and Myles had found her an excellent pair of financial advisers, a married couple that would rather have a nice place to raise eventual children than run away with the treasury. The head of security was similarly vetted, and had been commissioned by the king himself. Some of the conservatives grumbled about the favoritism, shown, but Jon had blithely ignored them and let Alanna insist on paying for the man's first three years at the post.

The people of Pearl Cove hadn't been sure about gaining a noble that would technically own their village and homes, but Daine promptly relieved those worries. She met with the village headman in his own home, as was only proper, and he was delighted to meet a girl from a tiny town with everybody in everybody else's business. She had the papers ready for both of them to sign, swearing that the noble holding Pearl Cove would never confiscate the village's property. Daine didn't understand any of the contract save the introduction, but the headman had whistled to see that Duke Turomot himself had signed off that the document was legally binding and would not be reversed without first changing several laws.

By the end of autumn, Pearl Cove's people were quite fond of their lady. Miri's many stories about her good friend from the Riders that found her wonderful ponies and helped with archery had certainly paved the way, but that wasn't nearly enough for a fishing village. In a stroke of luck, however, both the fishermen and the pearl divers had decided that Lady Daine was lucky. (She had tried for "Daine," and no titles, but in the end she agreed that "Lady Veralidaine" would be worse.)

Numair visited Daine often, but that was to no one's great surprise. He split his time between Corus and Pearl Cove, as befitted a mage that had taken on a student. He had averted his eyes from the frequent clothing mishaps from the start, perhaps, but he had a quick eye and a good memory. Half a second of accidental viewing was enough to prompt mortified descriptions in his many letters to Varice Kingsford, every one of them signed Numair Salmalin.

Varice had been keeping track of both of them for months before she was sure, but the signs had lately turned unmistakable. Daine was more circumspect, of course, but it was simple enough to guess just _which _mage the girl might be interested in from a few of the details that had slipped through. Arram wanted a little reassurance, and after four months Varice was certain enough to give him the right kind of advice. As long as the girl was past sixteen (quite easy, honestly, as Daine was months past seventeen) and her guardians agreed (again, quite handily managed, as the Lioness seemed to approve of Arram), then there was nothing to concern the best of ethical minds.

By winter, she had taken long enough to sort out her own conflicted feelings, and to find the even subtler hints woven through "Numair's" letters. _Kaddar _was alive. That should have made her angrier, perhaps, that Arram had been keeping so many secrets from her all along, but she had only smiled. They had been lovers, she knew, but Varice had finally realized that they hadn't been in love. Love might not be the idealized thing poets wrote paeans to in so many of their works, but it certainly would have made staying behind in Carthak a very poor option. Someone in love would have followed the insane man anywhere.

In spring, she was one of the main agents in the new ring of nobles and slaves that snuck information out with the hand-chosen slaves that would escape that week. She also started leaving hints of her own in letters to Daine, and outright statements of encouragement in Arram's.

When that didn't garner the result that she had intended, Varice took one last step that would take care of things one way or the other. She wrote a letter to Lady Alanna of Pirate's Swoop and washed her hands of the matter. If the Lioness couldn't make the two of them see sense, then it obviously wasn't meant to be.


	39. Push

_Reviewers, thank you for making this story so much fun to write. There will be one more chapter, but I think this one has pieces that you've been wanting to see._

**The Emperor's Mage**  
**Chapter Thirty-nine: Push**

There were many complicated arrangements to be made when two members of two different royal lines were considering a betrothal. The hardest step was often to make the initial agreement, and realizing that one member of the royal line would be permanently lost to her country. That step had been remarkably easy, and the potential bride and groom had both been very gracious in compromising on typical points of contention. It was simpler when the negotiations could take place over private dinners, and not through courtiers, as His Serene Highness Prince Kaddar had been staying in Corus while George and Sarge arranged the best timing for a return.

Kalasin was only two months from her fourteenth birthday, a rather typical age for a royal betrothal, and everyone but Kaddar agreed it would be best for him to ask her privately that afternoon before they had a ball to announce the engagement. Kaddar thought they should leave at least another day between proposal and ball to coax her into agreeing to such a permanent thing, despite all of the prior negotiations that had gone quite well.

Sarge had elected to take care of that last step, and for good measure he'd dragged both Kaddar and Numair into his private meeting room just after lunch.

"You're both too old for the usual speeches I give to Riders when they start making goo-goo eyes at somebody that's looking right back, so we'll keep it simple. Both of you have your eyes on a girl that has her eyes on you- different girls or we'd have a real mess. As it is... waiting won't help your cases, hear? Thayet and Alanna like both of you, and gods only know what other kind of approval you need. Jon's a softie when it comes to either of those girls, George already knows way too much about both of you, and if I didn't like it I would've had both of the sweet little things half in love with one of my Riders already. I expect that both of you can find yourself a pretty ring of some kind this afternoon and have the matter done by the end of the night."

Neither man interrupted him, for all that Kaddar would soon be one of the most powerful men in the world and Numair was already one of the most powerful mages out there. They even looked as if they agreed with his points. "Good lads," Sarge approved, clapping each of them on a shoulder.

That was the end of it, at least as far as Princess Kalasin's betrothal was concerned. Kaddar, of course, went the extra mile, but Sarge had expected no less. Kaddar walked the two-year warmblooded mare he'd been hand-training for eight months over to the palace, and tied a ring into the reins just before handing them over to Kalasin. The princess hadn't noticed the ring for a full two minutes, with the distraction of such a beautiful animal, but Kaddar admitted later that he would much prefer for her to appreciate the horse.

Of course, after Kalasin found the ring, the answer was a resounding 'yes' that brought several stablehands scurrying over to see what on earth had happened. Further announcements waited for the horse to be properly stabled, but neither would have left until the mare was settled. No one was surprised at the announcement, but several were very touched to hear about such a personal proposal and there was much admiration of the beautiful mare that seemed to know precisely what had happened. (If Kaddar had politely asked Daine to help him explain things to the mare beforehand, it was only a sign of how well he understood animals.)

Numair seemed to be the only person in Corus unhappy with the arrangement. The people at large were quite taken with the story of a foreign prince working in the stables and falling in love with their princess, and couldn't imagine anyone with sense not loving their Kalasin. The nobles were rather appeased to know that if Kalasin would marry a foreigner, he was one of more than proper rank and one of beautiful speech and manners. The royalty were all very happy with Kaddar, even if none of them liked knowing that Kally would be so far from her home. Daine was thrilled for both of her friends, the Riders were immensely pleased that one of their own would marry the princess they'd adopted, and even the conservatives kept their criticisms quiet.

Numair, however, had been spending the last week wondering why on earth Sarge, Alanna, and Thayet took it as a given that he should marry Veralidaine Sarrasri—or Lady Veralidaine Sarrasri of Pearl Cove, if you please. The conservatives still grumbled that a commoner had been elevated at such a young age, but they never said anything too inflammatory. Daine was similarly popular with the commoners and progressive nobles for her charm, compassion, and common sense.

Sarge was completely unsympathetic to his plight, and it was no use talking to Thayet. The queen of Tortall was walking on clouds out of pure happiness, and Alanna wasn't much closer to the ground. Of everyone, George was the one that took him aside an hour before dinner began.

"Last I saw somebody looking so nervous, she went running off to a Bazhir tribe for a time," George said, as if that was the natural response to feeling a little outclassed. "You thinkin' 'bout running?"

"Not exactly," Numair admitted. "I just feel a little outclassed, with Kaddar, and Daine alone... well, you know about her parents."

"Never thought you were the type to back off for a daddy-in-law you hadn't even met." George spun a knife around his hand, a full sign that there wasn't anyone watching. Lately, he'd been taking the persona of an idle noble-about-court to the last detail, and knife-tricks made most nobles cautious. "She likes you, and you know none of her guardians are hearing a word against you. What's really holding you back?"

"I'm nearly twice her age," Numair said, as if that were reason enough.

George only smiled. "Now that part sounds a bit familiar. I was seventeen when my Sight told me to say hello to the little red-headed boy with the purple lamps. At twenty-one, I was most of the way in love and she went running right to—somebody else, no need to bring in names all over. I had to wait a bit, maybe, but Alanna was a very different case. She was denying that she could be a lady and a warrior and a woman all at once. Daine's always been Daine first, and then a lady and a demi-goddess and whatever other title people throw on her."

"That's exactly it, though!" Numair took an almost involuntary step forward. "She could have anyone."

"Mayhap she don't want 'anyone.'" George's smile made it seem that he'd already won the fight, but perhaps he had. "She wants you, and if you were the betting type I'd make it a gold noble that she'll make her move tonight even if you don't."

"How is every last one of you so sure?"

"Well, besides us having eyes and knowing that girl from when she was thirteen and afraid of her own powers," George began patiently, "your lady Varice asked Alanna to take care of things. Varice seems to think that if there's anybody deserving of all your oddities, it'll be Daine."

Numair was visibly taken aback, which left George all the opening he needed. "We'll be seeing you at the dinner, now, but don't feel you need to do the proposing with all of us looking on. Really, propositioning is rather usual, with this crowd, but you're the one that's suddenly gone traditional." That had done nothing to lessen Numair's surprise. George flicked the mage's amber eardrop as he passed by, and it was several minutes before Numair collected himself to make his way into dinner.

There were many congratulations for the new couple, but Numair kept himself to small sips of wine for the increasingly long toasts. Kally was pink-cheeked from a combination of excitement and her first tastes of wine, and drew attention from even her mother. The princess's dress had been designed in elegant lines of dark blue satin that suited her perfectly, and had been pieced together by the maid of a friend of Prince Roald's. Kaddar was looking very regal in his borrowed finery, and he had surprised both Jon and Thayet by politely requesting something a little plainer than their original choice. It seemed that Kaddar had a much simpler sense of dress than most of his country, but no one could deny that the simple combination of a dark blue tunic over a white shirt suited him.

It would have been far easier to let the alcohol loosen or tie his tongue, whichever way it would draw him, but Numair felt as if every member of the high table save Kally and Kaddar was watching his every move. The queen and king were frequently distracted with the happy couple, at least, but all of the rest seemed to be judging every word he said and every gesture he made. It was a relief to watch Kaddar and Kalasin open the dance floor with a stately waltz, especially since Daine had looped her arm through his before the music even started. There were no worries that someone else would steal the first dance with her, and as it turned out they were left alone for the first eight. He stopped a passing squire for two cups of cider, and something about the moment felt right. It meant waiting for Daine to finish her cider, and to have a second squire whisk the empty cups out of their hands, but he had taken the time to pull a small velvet box from his pocket.

Daine had turned to thank the squire, but he hardly had to say anything after she saw the ring. It wasn't her birthday, yet, and it wasn't any kind of special holiday. If he'd bought her a present, he generally left it at her desk, or once in her boot.

"Daine, I'm sure that I'll think of all the things that I should have said later, but right now I just want to ask," he said, feeling lucky to get even those words out. "I love you. Will you marry me?"

Usually, she was very easy to read, but the next few moments stretched into an eternity when she bit her lip and tilted her head slightly, but didn't do anything that told him what her answer would be. When she gave her answer, however, he almost wished that she'd left him wondering in a less literal way. "Maybe," she said, after several seconds of thought.

"Maybe?" he repeated, unable to conceal his disappointment.

Daine, however, looked anything but sad to be asked. "My ma made me promise not to go agreeing to marriage until I was good and ready, see, and she said to take a bit of time with your engagement to be sure that you want the same sort of things." She laced her fingers through his free hand, which was enough encouragement for him to try again.

"Perhaps you'll take the ring, while you consider," he coaxed. He supposed that diamonds were traditional, but both of them agreed that the stones weren't always trustworthy. Quite a few came from Carthak, where both of them knew enough about the conditions in the diamond mines, and the rest were from similarly war-torn areas. Instead, he'd found a silver ring with a smoky blue topaz that sparkled in any kind of light.

Daine peered at it more closely, now that she wasn't distracted with offers of marriage and the gasps of everyone within hearing range, and he knew that he'd chosen the right ring, at least. Unless he was quite mistaken, she liked it quite a bit. "After all, how could you fully think about agreeing to a marriage when you didn't see how my tastes in jewels suited you?"

She blushed, at that, but let him slide the ring onto the appropriate finger without another protest. She splayed her fingers apart to admire the ring, but just seconds later she was looking up into his eyes with a disconcertingly mischievous expression. "Of course, there's something else that I need to ask you," she began in that innocent tone that guaranteed trouble later.

"What's that?"

"This dress is rather lovely, but I can't undo the back on my own. Now that we're engaged and all... maybe you can come help me out of it. I think that we've spent enough time at the ball." As if that wasn't enough, she pulled him down by the lapel for a kiss that made her true intentions more than clear.

He was a little starry-eyed as she sauntered away, looking far too self-aware for a seventeen-year-old that had only kissed him four times. When he was aware of his surroundings again, it was because the King's Champion had just about fallen to the floor from laughing. George looked rather contemplative, but Alanna could hardly draw the breath to continue laughing.

"Doesn't get much more direct than that," George offered, nodding in Daine's direction. "Go convince the girl to marry you, now, there's a good mage."

Alanna's only contribution came after she had gained some control over herself. "And here I was thinking I was direct—go on, Numair, Daine's a midwife's child and knows plenty about what she wants to be doing. And who!"

Obviously, he wouldn't hear anything constructive from their friends for the rest of the night, and he'd already extended his congratulations to Kaddar and Princess Kalasin. Later he could tell Kaddar that the next time he had some elaborate proposal ready, he could do Numair the honor of letting the person with the unplanned mess of words go first.

Overall, though... Daine hadn't said no, and wouldn't be eighteen for six weeks yet. She had to know that this would guarantee weeks of flowers and dinners and even horseback rides, even if he'd be criticized by Daine and both horses for his inability to ride properly. There was no use finding any kind of animal that Daine wanted and didn't already have, when she loved her pony and doted on her dragonet. He had managed to find jewelry she liked three times, now, and he was still finding new things about wild magic. Even if his proposal hadn't resulted in an imminent wedding, he _had _received a proposition. All things considered, he hadn't done poorly at all.


	40. Labors

_This epilogue took far longer than I had hoped, but I didn't realize the direction that I had to take until the day this chapter was posted. This story was quite a bit of fun to write, and large parts of it definitely came right out of all of the reviews. Thank you, everybody! _

**The Emperor's Mage  
Epilogue: Labors  
**His father-in-law had antlers and an uncharitable disposition. Numair supposed that two years of living in sin might have contributed to Weiryn's obvious distaste for his relation-by-marriage, but the years of half-engagement had hardly been through lack of proposals. Daine's many propositions had been much more effective. Numair had even thought that they might have the typical arrangement of a proposal, some time of courting, an overly elaborate wedding, and _then _sex—which had driven Varice to laugh and say rude things about the mental states of people in love.

(When Daine finally had agreed to marry him, Varice had insisted on sailing to Corus to plan everything start to finish. She and Thayet were kindred spirits when it came to celebrations, it seemed, and there were already festivals planned to demonstrate the new close ties between Carthak and Tortall.)

Weiryn and Numair hadn't said a word to each other in the hour that they had been unceremoniously ejected from the birthing room. Daine had been forced to lie in bed for the last month of her pregnancy, still constantly keeping up with her shapeshifting child, and the entire palace had come together to keep her amused, pampered, and relatively happy. They had taken over Thayet's bedchamber when the queen would allow nothing else, and Numair had scarcely left until a goddess, a queen, and a Champion pointed both him and Weiryn out into the hall. Numair had tried to insist that he could remain calm, but his own wife had laughed at the notion. Alanna had even blocked all sound within the confines of the room, and there was no use in trying to sneak around to a window. Besides the threat of discovery or Weiryn's retaliation, he had to be in the hallway. They would let him in as soon as the birth was done.

Numair had managed to sit quietly for the first two hours, with only the smallest amount of fidgeting and all of that in his left leg, but as the bells chimed the three-hour mark, he was pacing the long hallway and wondering why on earth they ever could have trusted that leather cord.

Daine's trusty charm against pregnancy was renewed quite often by Alanna, who took great pleasure in accusing him of wearing out the magic, but they hadn't thought to do the same with the thin leather cord. Perhaps they might have noticed that the leather cord had fallen away, but Daine _had _just agreed to marry him, and they'd both been rather distracted. They only realized that the cord had broken at all because Arram had ended up with a silver badger claw sunk half an inch into his thigh. Alanna had also been impossible when healing that injury, and even worse when they discovered just a week later that the slight mistake with cord had resulted in a pregnancy.

Varice and Thayet had conspired to work some magic with the fabric that made Daine appear as svelte as she had been four months before, to keep rumors at bay just a little longer, with very little sign of the clear bump that would eventually be their child. The shapeshifting started just weeks after, and about two days before Aliane of Pirate's Swoop vanished. Arram hadn't heard much about the resolution, but just hours ago they'd gotten word from George that all was well. Alanna had hugged everyone in sight, and looked much happier about locking herself into Thayet's room and refusing all contact with the outside world.

Cloud had been less than impressed with him as a visitor. His longest detours from Daine's room had been the long walk down to the Rider barracks to bring greetings to the mare, whose disdainful expressions were clear even to someone without a trace of wild magic. Kitten still adored him, at least, but perhaps it helped that Numair had taken to reading stories. The larger volumes couldn't rest on Daine's abdomen as she read, even when the baby spent a day or two as a human, and the first story had been more or less an accident. She had been irritated at missing the last part of a story, when the day came that sitting at the desk was no longer easy, but had liked his telling of it, complete with dramatic voices. Since that accident, Kitten had taken to selecting the stories she wanted to know about, and he had even spent a few evenings reading about history to the perpetually curious dragon.

Numair looked up when he heard the little dragonet's chirp. Kitten was nearly unbearably smug about her ability to penetrate any magical shield, lately, and Alanna's four-layered spell on the lock had winked out without the slightest bit of backlash. Numair managed to precede Weiryn through the door, at least, and bypassed the queen and the Champion without hesitation. Daine looked tired, perhaps, but quite well. Her mother looked just as pleased, and the little cloth-wrapped bundle was indeed a human child. There had been a possibility that they could end up with a griffin, knowing their luck, but instead they had a human infant with eyes just like Daine's.

"We have a daughter," Daine said, sounding somewhere between bewildered and proud. He felt just the same.

They had talked about names, but somehow all of the uncertainty and list-making didn't matter when looking at the little girl's face. "She looks like a Sarralyn to me."

"I thought so, too." Daine held the baby out to him, and it was odd how natural it felt to hold his own child. He'd been terrified of bungling the process when a few obliging servants had come by with children for him to borrow for a bit, as none of the nobles had babies the right age. "Ma says that lots of babies are born with the eyes blue, but they might settle to be something else later. Of course, with Miss Sarralyn there, we'll be lucky to keep her with two eyes, let alone eyes of the same color."

Weiryn had his arms crossed over his bare chest, but his expression had softened. "Well. There's one thing you're good for, mage. Your looks didn't get in the way of my little girl's."

Arram couldn't disagree with that. "I'm sure I'll be saying the same in about twenty years, sir." Little Sarralyn was rather pliant now, but she had two of the most stubborn people in Corus for parents. If Daine could manage to win him over to Tortall at just sixteen, and he could cause so much ruckus in the world by twenty, he hated to imagine just what their children would put them through.

Sarra had been waiting quite patiently, so after a few minutes Numair let the new grandmother meet her namesake while he maneuvered around the excessive amounts of pillows propping Daine upright.

"Did you know that we met exactly four years ago?" Numair asked. He'd only realized the significance on his one hundred-twelfth circuit of the hallway, and Daine had been even more distracted.

"I had no notion. It feels like it's been longer'n'shorter all at once, somehow." Daine smiled encouragingly at her father as Weiryn made a very cautious show of holding the child. He quickly relinquished the burden back to Sarra, who tucked the baby into Daine's arms."Alanna says that's how it always goes. You meet somebody and there's that entire time of wondering, and then suddenly it's been four years and there's a baby, and next thing you know... well, I'd hate to predict some child of ours," Daine said fondly, echoing Numair's thoughts. "Or maybe multiple children of ours, but I'm not thinking about that until I forget how bad that hurt. She could've at least chosen to be a marsupial coming out. Half their babies are like my little finger."

"We'll be sure to tell the next child," Numair promised.

Thayet and Alanna guided Daine through the process of feeding a baby while Sarralyn fussed over the bassinet and other baby paraphernalia and peppering Alanna and Thayet with questions, suggestions, and the occasional order. Daine stayed awake long enough to watch Sarralyn's eyes flutter shut, and to say goodbye to her parents. Sarralyn kissed her on the forehead, but Weiryn took the odd step of handing Daine a bow that grew in her hand, muttering that he'd look into making a couple better suited for a child pretty soon. They both promised that the badger would be around before vanishing in an instant, returning back to the realms of the gods.

(Mithros had been displeased about the break in the rules, but the Mother Goddess had insisted that the birth of a child made it quite an easy exemption.)

With Sarralyn carefully transferred to the bassinet, Daine wasted no time in falling asleep on Numair's shoulder. Alanna and Thayet extracted promises to meet the baby later before leaving, not that there was any doubt. Numair and Daine's child would have the oddest extended family in the world, perhaps, but it was a good one. Tortall was a good place, free of despots and full of the most fascinating people that Numair (or Arram Draper) would ever meet.

He'd never thought that he'd raise a child, but there wasn't a better place or a better woman in the world. Arram Draper, now Numair Salmalin, drifted off to sleep just half an hour later, firmly convinced that he was the luckiest man in the world.


End file.
